THE MONUMENTAL AND UNIQUE ‘ULRICH VON SCHROEDER’ GILT-COPPER HEAD OF BUDDHA, TIBET, 14TH CENTURY

Expert’s note: This magnificent head is the largest example of its type ever to appear on the Western markets, making it difficult to imagine the sheer scale of the complete sculpture to which it once belonged. The gently downcast eyes indicate that it formed part of a seated Buddha. A standing Buddha—of which only exceedingly rare large-scale examples are known from Tibet—would typically engage the viewer with a forward gaze. The presence of blue pigment in the Buddha’s hair further confirms that the image was venerated in Tibet, while its stylistic features and the exceptional quality of casting and gilt indicate a Newar workshop. The complete sculpture would likely have been approximately 135-145 cm high (see the auction result comparison below).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 15 September 2008, lot 18
Price: USD 3,666,500 or approx. EUR 4,628,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An important and monumental gilt bronze figure of Buddha, Tibet, 14^th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling of the face with similar downcast eyes, full-lipped smile, and teardrop form urna. Note the comparable is a fully seated figure (142 cm).

Exceptionally cast and powerfully modeled, the face with a benign expression marked by full lips forming an enigmatic smile, sinuously lidded downcast eyes centered by a teardrop-form urna inset with turquoise, elegantly arched brows, and a strong aquiline nose, flanked by gently curved ears with elongated pierced lobes, the hair arranged in tight snail-shell curls over the high domed ushnisha topped by a jewel.

Provenance: The Ulrich von Schroeder Collection, acquired in Hong Kong in 2008. The back of the neck and the stand each with a label from the Ulrich von Schroeder Collection, inscribed ’2008 04’. A copy of a private collection inventory excerpt for reference number 2008-04, including a photograph of the present lot and confirming the dating above, issued by Ulrich von Schroeder and Heidi von Schroeder, accompanies the piece. Note that the height of 36 cm stated in the excerpt is incorrect; the actual height is 40.5 cm.
A distinguished art historian and collector, Ulrich von Schroeder (b. 1943) is one of the most influential figures in the study of Himalayan art. Inspired by his great-great-uncle, the Indologist Leopold von Schroeder, he first traveled to Nepal at age 22, initiating a lifelong commitment to the study and documentation of Himalayan artistic traditions. Frustrated by the inconsistent dating and stylistic attributions in art publications of the 1960s and 1970s, von Schroeder undertook a rigorous four-year study that culminated in the 1981 publication of Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, the first comprehensive chronology of Tibetan metal sculpture. This was followed by his two-volume magnum opus, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet (2001), documenting over 1,000 bronzes in previously inaccessible monasteries, and Nepalese Stone Sculptures (2019), a monumental survey of nearly 3,000 Hindu and Buddhist stone sculptures in Nepal. To this day, von Schroeder’s publications remain the only reliable encyclopedias on their subjects.
Condition: Excellent condition, commensurate with age. Expected wear and manufacturing irregularities including a casting patch at either temple and circular apertures at the base of the neck. Light surface scratches. Rubbing and minuscule dents to hair curls. Minor bruises and dents overall. Distinct remnants of ancient pigment. Superb, naturally grown, lustrous patina.

Weight: 11.6 kg (excl. stand), 14.6 kg (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 40.5 cm (excl. stand), 54 cm (incl. stand)

With a fitted metal stand. (2)

The present lot has a number of iconographic features of a supranatural being (mahalakshana) that the artist has emphasized, including the three folds across his neck, the elongated earlobes, pronounced teardrop urna (neatly inlaid in turquoise), and tall ushnisha surmounted by a wish-fulfilling gem (cintamani).

This sumptuously modeled head of Buddha exemplifies the iconic craftsmanship and aesthetic dynamism of the Newar ateliers. The Newar people, creators of the most refined forms of Nepalese material culture, were patronized primarily by the royal courts and the highest ranks of the religious elite. Positioned between India to the south and Tibet and China beyond the Himalayan range to the north, the Kathmandu Valley occupied a unique geographic setting that encouraged the flourishing and dissemination of its distinctive artistic practices.
The Newar artisans’ unrivaled mastery of metalwork, particularly in casting and gilding, led to the development of exquisite bronze figures that combined intricate detailing with profound spiritual symbolism. Their works not only served as ritual objects but also as representations of divine power and protection, embodying a seamless fusion of artistry and religious devotion.

Newar craftsmen have been active in Tibet since the introduction of Buddhism around the 7th century, playing a pivotal role in shaping the region's sculptural tradition. Distinctive Nepalese physiognomic features, such as a broad forehead, teardrop-shaped urna, delicately curved, upward-sweeping eyebrows, and cupid's-bow lips, are all elegantly captured in this sculpture. The finely modeled, almost spiky curls of the Buddha's hair are characteristic of large Buddha figures created prior to the 15th century, as seen in images from the Shalu Monastery (see Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Vol. I, 2001 p. 516, pl. 169B). Compare also with several damaged 14th-century bronze statues documented in the Shalu Monastery's storage during a 1999 survey (see Michael Henss, The Cultural Monuments of Tibet, Vol. II, 2014 p. 585, fig. 830).

The 14^th century in Tibet witnessed a period of extensive monastic building programs, with large, monumental sculptures commissioned to adorn these newly constructed temples. Given their scale, these sculptures were often cast in separate sections and then joined together with pins and rivets, as demonstrated by the anchor points along the lower rim of the neck in the present lot. Other large-scale, contemporaneous gilt Nepalese sculptures cast in multiple parts can be found within Shalu Monastery. Notably, these include a Maitreya figure composed of five sections, showcasing distinct Newar influences in the prominent lower lip and broad forehead, as well as a Buddha Shakyamuni with a dual-cast head and body (see Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Bronzes in Tibet, Vol. II, 2001, pl. 230C & pl. 231D).

Literature comparison:
Compare a group of seated gilt-bronze figures of Buddha, discovered in the Shalu Monastery's storage during a 1999 survey, and illustrated by Jeff Watt on Himalayan Art Resources, item numbers 6008, 6010, and 6015.