STATUETTE D'AKSHOBHYAVAJRA GUHYASAMAJA EN ALLIAGE... Lot n° 20
Résultat :
Non Communiqué
STATUETTE D'AKSHOBHYAVAJRA GUHYASAMAJA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉ
TIBET CENTRAL, XVE SIÈCLE
Himalayan Art Resources item no. 4611
51.5 cm (20 1/4 in.) high
Footnotes:
A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF AKSHOBHYAVAJRA GUHYASAMAJA
CENTRAL TIBET, 15TH CENTURY
藏中 十五世紀 銅鎏金密集不動金剛像
Provenance
With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s
'The anuttara yoga tantras are
The highest teachings given by the Buddha.
From amongst these the most profound is
That of glorious Guhyasamaja, the king of all tantras.
Understanding the sublime path of Guhyasamaja
Bestows fearless, confident understanding
Of all the teachings of the Buddha.'
- Je Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), Founder of the Gelug School of Tibetan Buddhism
Representing the crown of the de Marteau Collection, this large, complex sculpture depicts Akshobhyavajra Guhyasamaja, a subject central to Tibetan Buddhism's promise of a swift and complete enlightenment. Two sublime beings—male and female—merge into one another in an ecstatic sexual embrace symbolizing the transcendent state of Buddhahood that one achieves through the completion of tantric instruction. Measuring 51.5 cm tall, this gilded bronze is among the grandest sculptural commissions of Guhyasamaja—or any composite yab yum ('mother-father') deity—from Tibet ever to appear on the market. Representing a subject deeply connected with the religious instruction of Tibet's most famous historic person, Je Tsongkhapa (1357-1419; fig. 1), this sculpture is also produced in a style synonymous with the Tibetan Renaissance he inspired.
The 'Ganden Renaissance,' which bore this sculptural tour de force, has been described as a 'quantum explosion' of spiritual attainment, philosophical and literary accomplishment, and artistic creativity.1 The post-enlightenment mission of the founder of the Gelug order, Tsongkhapa, to renew and reinvigorate Tibetan Buddhism galvanized an astonishing surge in religious and artistic activity in the 15th century. Support came through cooperation and competition among the various schools of Tibetan Buddhism as well as through patronage from Tibetan kings and Chinese emperors alike. Many of Central Tibet's most important monasteries (fig. 2) were founded during this period, with innovative feats of Buddhist painting and sculpture installed within them, such as Ganden (1410), the Gyantse Pelchor Chode (1418; fig. 3), Ngor (1429), and Tashi Lhunpo (1447). Far from limited to Central Tibet, the Ganden Renaissance extended much further into East and West Tibet. The assembling of artists from all over the Himalayas to create evermore magnificent commissions resulted in the successful integration of important influences from neighboring artistic traditions, and Tibetan art reaching its full maturity.2
Thanks to the rich information provided by a stylistically related masterpiece previously sold by Bonhams (fig. 4a; Bonhams, New York, 19 March 2018, lot 3033), this impressive Guhyasamaja can be confidently dated and attributed to 15th-century Central Tibet. The other gilt bronze, dubbed the 'Jamchen Avalokiteshvara' after the monastery it was created for, depicts the supreme, cosmic form of Boddhisatva Avalokiteshvara (Avalokiteshvara Sahasrabhuja Ekadasamukha), and features an inscription recording the master artist, royal patrons, monastery, and the overseeing Sakya hierarch involved in its production. By triangulating their biographies and historical records about Jamchen monastery, Watt was able to pinpoint the sculpture's creation in the Shigatse region of Central Tibet, c. 1425-30.3
Watt's reading of the inscription constituted a significant discovery for Tibetan art history; the sculpture revealed the name of a 'Tibetan Michelangelo', called Sonam Gyaltsen, whose superlative work could now be recognized among sculptures held in private and museum collections long-lauded as embodying the height of Tibetan sculptural achievement. However, in the wake of this recent discovery, little else is known about Sonam Gyaltsen and his atelier other than he was patronized, c.1425-30, by the Sakya order and members of Rinpungpa dynasty (1435-1565) ruling over the Shigatse region. For example, it is unknown whether his was the only atelier working in this stylistic tradition, which we presume lasted until the 16th century. Further research might determine whether he is the same 'Sonam Gyaltsen' recorded to have contributed to the contemporaneous artistic program of the Sakya Gyantse Kumbum, completed in 1427.4 Nevertheless, the discovery of Sonam Gyaltsen and the Jamchen Avalokiteshvara provides a suitable placeholder for allowing us to locate several sculptures (s
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