A LARGE BRONZE FIGURE OF AVALOKITESHVARA, SRIVIJAYA EMPIRE, 9TH-11TH CENTURY
Lot 246 - FAS1025

Indonesia and Malay Peninsula. Standing in samabhanga, his primary right hand lowered in varada mudra and the left held in karana mudra, the secondary hands raised to the shoulder and clutching a malla and a sacred text. The serene face with heavy-lidded downcast eyes below arched brows, centered by a raised urna and full lips forming a subtle smile, flanked by ears with pendulous lobes. The hair in thick tresses pulled into a high chignon centered by a diminutive Amitabha Buddha.

Provenance: Alexander Goetz, Bali, Indonesia. Alexander Goetz is a noted German art expert and collector who specializes in Indonesian works of art. As a young man, he built and sailed wooden boats around the world, and eventually arrived in Bali in 1971. Within a year, he became involved in the local art scene and in 1975, he was sponsored by the Indonesian Institute of Science to do research on contemporary art in Bali. In 1990, Goetz and his family moved to London where he opened the eponymous gallery specializing in Southeast Asian art, with Indonesia as the main focus. Since 2015, Alexander Goetz has run Gallery 101, a dedicated art space in Kabupaten Badung, Bali.
Condition: Good condition with expected old wear, small losses, minor casting irregularities, signs of burial and traces of weathering, encrustations, few minuscule fatigue cracks, scattered small nicks and light surface scratches. The bronze with a rich, naturally grown patina with vibrant malachite encrustation.

Weight: 10,371 g (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 45 cm (excl. stand), 54.5 cm (incl. stand)

Mounted on an associated hardwood stand. (2)

Srivijaya was a Buddhist thalassocratic empire based on the island of Sumatra (in modern-day Indonesia), which influenced much of Southeast Asia and was an important center for the expansion of Buddhism from the 7th to the 12th century. It also was the first unified kingdom to dominate much of the Malay Archipelago. Due to its location, the powerful state over time developed more and more complex technology utilizing maritime resources. The rise of the Srivijayan Empire was therefore also parallel to the end of the Malay seafaring period.

Literature comparison:
Compare a related Srivijaya copper alloy figure of Avalokiteshvara, dated 8^th-early 9^th century, 56.6 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 1982.64, and included in the seminal exhibition Lost Kingdoms: Hindu-Buddhist Sculpture of Early Southeast Asia, 5th to 8th Century, 15 April-27 July 2014, New York, cat. no. 158. Compare a related bronze figure of Maitreya, discovered in Komering, Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia, dated 9th-10th century, in the collection of the National Museum of Indonesia, Jakarta, inventory number 6025. Compare a related Javanese bronze figure of Shiva, 55 cm high, in the Museum Radyapustaka, Indonesia, illustrated in the Virtual Museum of Images & Sounds, accession number ACSAA_05389.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 20 September 2006, lot 202
Price: USD 66,000 or approx. EUR 92,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare bronze figure of Avalokiteshvara, Thailand or Indonesia, Shrivijaya, 9^th century
Expert remark: Compare the related modeling and manner of casting with similar garments, jewelry, and size (44.5 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Zacke, Vienna, 11 April 2024, lot 204
Price: EUR 40,040 or approx. EUR 41,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare bronze figure of Maitreya, Srivijaya, 7^th century
Expert remark: Compare the related modeling and manner of casting with similar garments and jewelry. Note the size (39 cm) and earlier dating. This statue was also previously with Alexander Goetz.