A SMALL BRONZE HEAD OF CROWNED JAMBHUPATI BUDDHA, ARAKAN STYLE, 18TH-19TH CENTURY OR EARLIER
This lot is a museum deaccession and is therefore offered without reserve

Burma. Cast with a serene expression marked by heavy-lidded downcast eyes, elegantly arched brows, aquiline nose, and full lips forming an enigmatic smile, flanked by pendulous earlobes embellished with rounded earrings and upturned ribbons. The hair boldly incised with a stippled lozenge pattern at the back of the head and gathered beneath an ornate tiara with flame and foliate designs, surmounted by a stupa-like ushnisha.

Provenance: The Kienzle Family Collection, Stuttgart, Germany. Acquired between 1950 and 1985 by siblings Else (1912-2006), Reinhold (1917-2008), and Dr. Horst Kienzle (1924-2019), during their extensive travels in Asia. Subsequently inherited by Dr. Horst Kienzle and bequeathed to the Museum für Asiatische Kunst, Radevormwald, Germany. Released through museum deaccession in 2024. The Kienzle siblings were avid travelers and passionate collectors of Asian and Islamic art. During their travels, the Kienzle’s sought out and explored temples, monasteries, and markets, always trying to find the best pieces wherever they went, investing large sums of money and forging lasting relationships to ensure they could acquire them. Their fervor and success in this pursuit is not only demonstrated by their collection but further recorded in correspondences between Horst Kienzle and several noted dignitaries, businesses and individuals in Nepal and Ladakh. Their collection had gained renown by the 1970s, but the Kienzle’s stopped acquiring new pieces around 1985. Almost thirty years later, the collection was moved to the Museum für Asiatische Kunst, Radevormwald, opened by Peter Hardt in 2014. Before his death in 2019, Horst Kienzle bequeathed his entire property to Peter Hardt and legally adopted him as his son, who has been using the name Peter Kienzle-Hardt ever since.
Condition: Good condition with expected wear, casting irregularities, and signs of weathering and erosion, including few nicks, surface scratches, small dents and minute losses to exposed areas. Small areas with encrustations. The bronze bearing a dark, naturally grown patina.

Weight: 485.7 g
Dimensions: Height 9.7 cm

The traditional image of a crowned Buddha stems from Indian Pala-period sculpture (8th-12th centuries), but gained new, local significance and unmatched popularity in Southeast Asia. In Myanmar, the image is known as Jambhupati Buddha and became widespread during Arakan's Ava period (1364-1555). The image is associated with a legend wherein an arrogant ruler named Jambhupati is humbled and converted by the Buddha. Jambhuphati intimidated the monarchs of neighboring states and in order to quell his hubris, Shakyamuni transformed himself into a mighty king, with splendid crown, jewelry, and palace.

The Kingdom of Arakan flourished between the 15th and 18th centuries as a prominent political and cultural realm on the western coast of Burma. Strategically located between the Bay of Bengal and the Burmese interior, Arakan served as a crossroads for Buddhist and Muslim influences. Its capital, Mrauk U, evolved into a fortified and cosmopolitan city, fostering extensive commercial and diplomatic connections with Bengal, major Islamic powers, and other ports across Southeast Asia. During this period, the kingdom witnessed a notable flowering of the arts, architecture, and literature, blending cultural elements from both East and West. From the 18th century onward, however, the kingdom entered a period of gradual decline following its defeat by the Mughal Empire.

Literature comparison:
Compare a related copper alloy figure of Buddha as Supreme Healer, Burma (Myanmar), Arakan style, dated 15th-17th century, 87 cm high, illustrated on Himalayan Art Resources, item no. 61432, formerly with Peter Hardt and sold at Bonhams New York, 14 March 2016, lot 77 for USD 112,500 or approx. EUR 130,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s Amsterdam, 12 October 2004, lot 98
Price: EUR 1,434 or approx. EUR 2,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Burmese, Shan style, bronze head of Buddha Shakyamuni, 18th century
Expert remark: Compare the related facial features and ornamental style of the tiara. Note the size (20.5 cm).