17th Oct, 2024 11:00
TWO-DAY AUCTION: Fine Asian Art, Buddhism and Hinduism
173
A SILVER-INLAID BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI, SWAT VALLEY, 7TH CENTURY
Sold for €2,600
including Buyer's Premium
Seated in dhyanasana on a double lotus base with his right hand lowered in varada mudra, the left holding the hem of his sanghati which falls from his shoulders in precisely incised pleats, his face with a serene expression, silver-inlaid almond-shaped eyes, incised brows, and faintly smiling lips, flanked by elongated earlobes, the hair arranged in tight curls piled atop a domed ushnisha. The back with a looped tang.
Provenance: A noted private collection. German trade, acquired from the above.
Condition: Good condition with extensive wear, commensurate with age. Signs of weathering and erosion, encrustations, tiny nicks, small losses, light scratches and nicks, and casting flaws. The bronze with a naturally grown dark patina with vibrant malachite encrustations.
Weight: 235.6 g
Dimensions: Height 9.8 cm
The Swat Valley is located along the upper stream of the Indus in the heartland of the Gandhara region. It was a melting pot of various people and arts and served as a link between India and Central Asia and further eastwards for a constant flow of Buddhist pilgrims. The earlier Gandhara style is still echoed in the art of many icons of the Swat Valley, as visible in the present example. The Buddha's parallel folds as well as the protuberance on top of his head can be traced back to Gandhara Buddha figures. However, the V-shaped pleats around his neck are associated with Kashmiri prototypes, as is the use of silver inlay. His face reflects a Gupta idiom, with its small mouth and incised eyebrows. The lotus base on which he sits is typical for Swat Valley images. Thus, this fine bronze Buddha figure perfectly embodies the aforementioned melting pot of various styles.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related silver-inlaid figure of Maitreya, 10.9 cm high, in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, accession number EA1995.165.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 15 March 2016, lot 44
Price: USD 173,000 or approx. EUR 212,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A silver-inlaid bronze figure of Buddha Shakyamuni, Swat Valley, 7th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of casting, with similarly incised garment folds and silver-inlaid eyes. Note the slightly larger size (13.4 cm).
Seated in dhyanasana on a double lotus base with his right hand lowered in varada mudra, the left holding the hem of his sanghati which falls from his shoulders in precisely incised pleats, his face with a serene expression, silver-inlaid almond-shaped eyes, incised brows, and faintly smiling lips, flanked by elongated earlobes, the hair arranged in tight curls piled atop a domed ushnisha. The back with a looped tang.
Provenance: A noted private collection. German trade, acquired from the above.
Condition: Good condition with extensive wear, commensurate with age. Signs of weathering and erosion, encrustations, tiny nicks, small losses, light scratches and nicks, and casting flaws. The bronze with a naturally grown dark patina with vibrant malachite encrustations.
Weight: 235.6 g
Dimensions: Height 9.8 cm
The Swat Valley is located along the upper stream of the Indus in the heartland of the Gandhara region. It was a melting pot of various people and arts and served as a link between India and Central Asia and further eastwards for a constant flow of Buddhist pilgrims. The earlier Gandhara style is still echoed in the art of many icons of the Swat Valley, as visible in the present example. The Buddha's parallel folds as well as the protuberance on top of his head can be traced back to Gandhara Buddha figures. However, the V-shaped pleats around his neck are associated with Kashmiri prototypes, as is the use of silver inlay. His face reflects a Gupta idiom, with its small mouth and incised eyebrows. The lotus base on which he sits is typical for Swat Valley images. Thus, this fine bronze Buddha figure perfectly embodies the aforementioned melting pot of various styles.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related silver-inlaid figure of Maitreya, 10.9 cm high, in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, accession number EA1995.165.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 15 March 2016, lot 44
Price: USD 173,000 or approx. EUR 212,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A silver-inlaid bronze figure of Buddha Shakyamuni, Swat Valley, 7th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of casting, with similarly incised garment folds and silver-inlaid eyes. Note the slightly larger size (13.4 cm).
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