STATUETTE DE BOUDDHA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉ... Lot n° 25

STATUETTE DE BOUDDHA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉ TIBET, XVI/XVIIE SIÈCLE Tibetan number inscribed underneath '3'. Himalayan Art Resources item no. 4634 28.2 cm (11 1/8 in.) high Footnotes: A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF BUDDHA TIBET, 16TH/17TH CENTURY 西藏 十六/十七世紀 銅鎏金佛陀像 Provenance: With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s This confident portrayal of the Buddha raises his right palm in the gesture of reassurance (abhaya mudra) while his left hand rests on his lap in the gesture of meditation (dhyana mudra). Located underneath the core is an incised numeral, indicating that the figure was commissioned in Tibet and was once part of a large sculptural assembly depicting the Thirty-Five Buddhas of Confession. First introduced by the founder of the Gelug order, Je Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), this Mahayana ritual is described in the, 'Sutra of the Three Heaps' (Triskandhadharmasutra), where practitioners recite the names of all Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas and present each being with offerings as a means of atonement for past improprieties. Certain elements of this unique bronze, such as its sweet expression, pointed nose, and robust physique are similarly evoked in a 14th-century gilt bronze Avalokiteshvara with strong Nepalese features (published in Pal, Asian Art at the Norton Simon Museum vol. 2, 2003 p. 92, no. 57), attesting to the recruitment of Newari artists by Tibetan patrons during the 13th and 15th centuries. That being said, the loose piles of heavy fabric gathering at the Buddha's feet and left shoulder are more comparable to later styles, including a 16th/17th century image of Bhaisajyaguru located in the Tibet Museum, Gruyerès (ABS 183) and a smaller gilt-bronze Amitabha also in this sale (see lot 30). For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com Good overall condition, with some corrosion to the gilding and some light pitting within the underlying copper alloy on the chest and proper right arm, likely the result of ritual unguents and butter lamp grease resulting from the object's ritual use within the culture. Minor stress cracks at the back of the figure's robe and along the lower garment at the proper left knee. Other partial losses to the gilding on the feet, proper left hand, and face. Faint scratches and dents throughout, as is visible in images. Remains of cold gold in the face, blue pigment in the hair, black and white pigment in the eyes, and red pigment in the lips. Please contact Sidney Lee (sidney.lee@bonhams.com) for related condition report images.