A SILVER-INLAID BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA, SWAT VALLEY, 7TH-8TH CENTURY

Expert’s note:
Few Swat bronzes are known that retain the original backplate as in the present example. It is separately cast and inserted into a tang issuing from the Buddha’s back.

Seated in dhyanasana on a double lotus base with his hands held close to his chest in vajra mudra, dressed in a sanghati which falls from his shoulders in precisely incised pleats, the face with a serene expression, silver-inlaid almond-shaped eyes, and smiling lips, flanked by elongated earlobes, the hair arranged in tight curls piled atop a domed ushnisha. A separately cast, pierced, foliate mandorla is attached to the back on a looped tang.

Provenance: A noted private collection. German trade, acquired from the above.
Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, signs of weathering and erosion, encrustations, nicks, losses, scratches, and casting flaws. The bronze with a naturally grown, rich, mottled patina with malachite and cuprite encrustations.

Weight: 239.6 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. 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 related Swat Valley bronze figure of Buddha, 9.8 cm high, dated c. 7^th century, in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, accession number 1999-150-117.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams Paris, 12 June 2023, lot 46
Price: EUR 40,960 or approx. EUR 42,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A copper alloy figure of Avalokiteshvara, Swat Valley, 7^th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of casting and decoration with similarly incised garment folds and double lotus base. Note the related size (10.8 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Galerie Zacke, Vienna, 11 April 2024, lot 237
Price: EUR 14,300
Description: A silvered copper-alloy figure of Buddha Shakyamuni with silver inlaid eyes, Swat Valley, 7^th-8^th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of casting and decoration with similar base, incision work, and silver-inlaid eyes. Note the identical size (9.8 cm).