A LARGE GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF CROWNED BUDDHA
Lot 366 - FAS1025

Expert’s note: The present figure is inspired by the iconic crowned Buddha images of the 15th century, a type that continued to be reproduced in China, Nepal, and Tibet well into the Qing dynasty and beyond. This long tradition makes precise dating difficult. Accordingly, we refrain from assigning a specific date, choosing instead to appreciate its outstandingly appealing presence.

Tibet. Seated in dhyanasana on a double-lotus throne with beaded rims, his hands in bhumisparsha mudra, clad in a diaphanous sanghati that falls in two neatly arranged rows of pleads below the feet, the face with a gentle smile and downcast eyes surmounted by an elaborate five-leaf tiara, and the hair combed into a two-tier chignon and covered in blue pigments. The base sealed with a copper plate incised at the center with a double vajra.

Provenance: A European private collection.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, tiny nicks, light scratches, little rubbing to the gilt, casting irregularities, few minute touchups. The sealing plate perhaps of later date, the gilding possibly renewed at some point in time.

Weight: 9.1 kg
Dimensions: Height 39.3 cm

This figure represents the crowned Buddha, an ornamented form of the great chakravartin, or universal ruler, embodying both spiritual and worldly authority as the archetype of Buddhist kingship. The essential attributes of the enlightened Buddha, the cranial protuberance, elongated earlobes, lotus posture, and serene mudra of awakening, convey an aura of contemplative simplicity despite the regal adornments.

Scholars suggest that the image of the crowned Buddha first emerged within Buddhist communities in response to the growing political and religious influence of Hinduism in India from the early first millennium, becoming especially pronounced in the late fifth century. By emphasizing the Buddha’s supreme spiritual authority, Buddhists asserted their position within a religious landscape increasingly favoring Hindu deities (Bautze-Picron, The Bejewelled Buddha from India to Burma, 2010). This concept of the Dharma King, uniting monarchic and religious sovereignty, developed into a rich iconographic tradition in eastern India under the Pala dynasty. Newari ateliers later adopted this model, refining its features.

In Tibet, blue was the color of choice for the Buddha’s curls, even though Buddhist texts describe his hair simply as ‘dark’. Wealthy donors demonstrated their piety and generosity by commissioning large images fashioned from precious materials. Made from one of two minerals, lapis or azurite, blue pigments were considered luxurious because they were expensive imports. Such opulent goods conveyed the donor’s respect for the Buddha as well as his or her social status.