Nepal, early Malla period, c. 1380-1480. Shakyamuni is cast seated in dhyanasana on a sealed double-lotus base, a vajra before him. The hands in bhumisparsa mudra, wearing a diaphanous robe with a pearled hemline and an elaborate coral-inlaid crown. The serene face with heavy-lidded almond-shaped eyes, a pearl-inlaid urna, gently arched eyebrows, a hooked nose, and bow-shaped lips forming a subtle smile.

Provenance: A Swiss private collection. Koller, Zurich, 8^th-9^th May 2012, lot 112. A private collection in New York, USA, acquired from the above.
Published: Himalayan Art Resources, item no. 8035.
Condition: Excellent condition with traces of use, casting flaws, occasional light scratches, few nicks and losses, minuscule cracks, some wear to gilt. Original sealing. Superb natural patina.

Weight: 3,792 g
Dimensions: Height 27.5 cm

This magnificent sculpture elegantly depicts the moment in which Buddha Shakyamuni achieves enlightenment. Seated in meditation under the Bodhi tree, Buddha maintains his deep introspective state despite Mara’s attempts to frighten and distract him. Having overcome all of Mara’s threats, Buddha presses a single finger to the Earth to witness his enlightenment.

The Nepalese artists of the early Malla period were revered for creating sculpture with “a subtle balance between ornamentation and form.” The present work embodies the “finesse in the handling of detail with remarkable mastery of sculptural form demonstrating the extraordinary virtuosity of Nepalese artists” (J. Casey, Divine Presence: Art of the Himalayas, Barcelona, 2003, p.44).

The square face is reminiscent of Pala period prototypes, whereas the finely detailed crown and delicately beaded hem of the robe are hallmarks of the Malla period. The thick, lustrous gilding reveals areas of the rich copper surface beneath, a characteristic revered by connoisseurs of Nepalese bronze sculpture.

Malla was the ruling dynasty of the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal from 1201 to 1779. The term "malla" means "wrestler" in Sanskrit. The first of the Malla kings came to power in 1200. The period was a golden one that stretched over almost 600 years, though it was peppered with fighting over the valuable trade routes to Tibet.

Auction result comparison: Compare with a closely related figure at Christie’s New York in Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Works of Art on 13 September 2016, lot 217, sold for USD 161,000, and another, dated to the 14^th century, at Christie’s New York in Indian and Southeast Asian Art on 19 March 2014, lot 1010, sold for USD 509,000.

十四至十五世紀馬拉王朝鎏金銅釋迦牟尼坐蓮像
尼泊爾，馬拉王朝早期，約1380-1480年。釋迦牟尼結跏趺坐坐於雙層蓮座上，身前放著金剛杵，手施觸地印，穿著透明的長袍，施有連珠紋，五葉冠鑲嵌著精美的珊瑚。 寧靜的臉龐，白毫鑲嵌珍珠，雙眉弧線輕挑，雙目低垂，處在禪定狀態中，鼻樑修直，雙唇微抿含笑。

來源：瑞士私人收藏 。蘇黎世Koller拍賣行，2012年5月8-9日，lot 112. 紐約私人收藏購於上述拍賣。
出版：Himalayan Art Resources, item no. 8035.
品相：狀況極佳，有使用痕跡，鑄件瑕疵，局部輕微划痕，很少的划痕和缺失，微小的裂紋，有些磨損。 原始密封。天然包漿。

重量： 3,792 克
尺寸：高27.5 厘米

這座宏偉的雕塑細膩地描繪了釋迦牟尼佛證悟的那一刻。佛陀坐在菩提樹下沉思，天魔曾經企圖阻止釋迦牟尼佛修行證悟，但佛陀仍然保持著內省的狀態，以右手觸地並說：“大地可以為我作證！”，證明他已經成就佛道，魔王才退去。

馬拉王朝早期的尼泊爾藝術家因創作雕塑“在裝飾和形式之間達到微妙的平衡”而備受推崇。本作品體現了“在處理細節方面的精湛技藝，精湛的造像形式表現出尼泊爾藝術家非凡的技藝”（J. Casey，《神聖的存在：喜馬拉雅山的藝術》，巴塞羅那，2003年，第44頁）。

方形臉使人聯想到帕拉時代的原型，而精美的五葉冠和精緻的連珠紋則是馬拉時代的標誌。厚而光澤的鍍金層露出下方豐富的銅表面區域，鑑賞家尤其推崇尼泊爾的青銅造像這一特徵。

馬拉是1201年至1779年尼泊爾加德滿都谷地的統治王朝。“馬拉”一詞在梵語中的意思是“摔跤手”。首位馬拉國王於1200年上台執政。這段長達600年的時期是馬拉王朝的黃金時期，儘管它與通往西藏的寶貴貿易路線作鬥爭。

拍賣結果比較：一件相似雕像，售于紐約佳士得 Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Works of Art拍場2016年9月13日 lot 217, 售價USD 161,000；另一件十四世紀的雕像，售于紐約佳士得 Indian and Southeast Asian Art 拍場2014年3月19日 lot 1010, 售價USD 509,000.