A COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF SHADAKSHARI LOKESHVARA, TIBETAN-CHINESE, 15TH CENTURY

Published & Exhibited:
1. E & J Frankel, High Elevation Pt. II. Himalayan Art 1200-1800, New York, 6 March-1 April 2000.
2. E & J Frankel, Four Decades: Fortieth Anniversary Retrospect, New York, 2007, p. 130-131, plate 29.

Seated in dhyanasana on a lotus base, the primary hands folded in anjali mudra in front of the chest and the secondary hands held in vitarka mudra. The deity dressed in a diaphanous dhoti and sash with foliate incised hems, adorned with beaded jewelry, his serene face is characterized by sinuously lidded eyes and slender lips parted in a subtle smile showing the upper teeth above the prominent rounded chin. The hair is arranged in a tall chignon topped by a foliate finial and secured behind a pierced five-leaf crown.

Provenance: From the personal Estate of Edith and Joel Frankel, New York, USA. The back with an old label inscribed ‘Chin[…] $20,000’. E & J Frankel was a major New York gallery specializing in Asian Art since 1967. Run by Edith (1939-2012) and Joel Frankel (1937-2018), it was one of the oldest galleries in the United States focusing exclusively on Asian art. Leaders in their field, the Frankels traveled the world in search of Asian art treasures and educated the general public about their shared passion. Their gallery on Madison Avenue in New York City became a local institution, best known for its regular schedule of innovative thematic exhibitions, and frequently visited by the biggest names in the field, such as Eskenazi, Ellsworth, Junkunc, and the Alsdorfs.
Condition: Good condition with expected wear and casting irregularities, scattered light nicks and small surface scratches, tiny dings, minor losses and bending to fingers, remnants of cold-gilt and ancient pigment. The figure is affixed to the base with two nails which are probably inherent to the manufacture. The base unsealed.

Weight: 3,723 g
Dimensions: Height 22.8 cm

Shadakshari Lokeshvara, one of the thirty-one forms of Avalokiteshvara according to the Sadhanamala, is often regarded as the patron of Tibet and the progenitor of the Dalai Lama lineage. He is personified by the six syllable mantra of the Buddhists, 'Om mani padme hum'.

Literature comparison:
Compare a related smaller Tibetan gilt copper figure depicting the same subject, 14 cm high, dated to the 15^th century, from the Qing Court collection and illustrated in The Complete Collection of the Treasures of the Palace Museum, Buddhist Statues of Tibet, vol. 60, 1998, p. 178, no. 170.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams Paris, 12 June 2023, lot 6
Price: EUR 51,200 or approx. EUR 53,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A silver inlaid brass figure of Shadakshari Lokeshvara, Central Tibet, Tsang Province, 15^th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject as well as the related modeling. Note the size (27 cm). Note the silver-inlaid eyes and inscription to the base.