STATUETTE DE RATNASAMBHAVA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE... Lot n° 21

STATUETTE DE RATNASAMBHAVA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉ D'UN MANDALA D'AKSHOBYAVAJRA GUHYASAMAJA TIBET, XVE/XVIE SIÈCLE Himalayan Art Resources item no. 4607 18 cm (7 1/8 in.) high Footnotes: A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF RATNASAMBHAVA FROM AN AKSHOBYAVAJRA GUHYASAMAJA MANDALA TIBET, 15TH/16TH CENTURY 西藏 十五/十六世紀 銅鎏金寶生佛像 出自密集不動金剛壇城 Provenance: With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s This graceful image depicts the 'secret essence' of Buddha Ratnasambhava, with three faces and six arms, as he appears presiding over the southern quadrant of a Guhyasamaja sculptural mandala. Ratnasambhava's diagnostic attribute, the flaming triratna ('triple gem'), is held in the principal right hand while others wield attributes corresponding to the four other Presiding Buddhas overseeing the mandala's central axis and other quadrants. Compare the physiognomy, crown, and lotus base of the present lot to bronzes attributed to the 15th and 16th centuries, including an Amitayus sold at Christie's, New York, 11 September 2019, lot 347; an Ushnishavijaya in the Rubin Museum of Art (C2002.53.1); and a three-faced Tara with a similar slender physique and serene expression published in Uhlig, On the Path to Enlightenment, 1995, pp. 160-1, no. 105. Several other Guhyasamaja mandala retinue figures are known in contemporaneous styles (Sotheby's, New York, 18 December 1981, lot 263; Seeks Auction, Beijing, 7 June 2017, lot 307; Bonhams, Hong Kong, 2 October 2018, lot 182; and 7 October 2019, lot 933). For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com Excellent condition overall, with minor dents and scratches intermittently throughout, as is visible in images. There is a thin layer of smoky black residue in recessed areas from exposure to temple lamps within the culture. Remains of cold gold in the face, blue pigment to the hair, white pigment to the eyes, and red pigment to the lips. Base plate is missing. Please contact Sidney Lee (sidney.lee@bonhams.com) for related condition report images.