STATUETTE DE MANJUSHRI EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DYNASTIE... Lot n° 49

STATUETTE DE MANJUSHRI EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DYNASTIE QING, RENAISSANCE PALA, XVIIIE SIÈCLE Inscribed with the Buddhist Creed ('ye dharma hetu...') in Tibetan on the back of the mandorla. Himalayan Art Resources item no. 4643 12 cm (4 3/4 in.) high Footnotes: A COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF MANJUSHRI QING DYNASTY, PALA REVIVAL, 18TH CENTURY 清 帕拉復興 十八世紀 文殊菩薩銅像 Provenance: With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s Manjushri, the bodhisattva of infinite wisdom, displays a sutra and the traces of an iron sword above his head. Certain characteristics, including his mandorla, axe-shaped ribbon ties, and looped cloth tied behind his girdle all recall the style of bronzes from the Late Pala period. However, the crisp outlines of his armlets and sash, together with a seated Buddha located behind the crown, stylistically deviate from 12th/13th century examples. This suggests a Qing artist's unique reimagining of earlier forms, or archaism, that was popularized by the antiquarian gentry and emperors of the Song dynasty (960-1279). Compare with a standing Tara image executed in the 'Pala Revival' style in the Palace Museum, Beijing (Wang (ed.), The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Place Museum: Buddhist Statues of Tibet, 2003, p. 257, no. 246), and a Vajradhara image with similarly soft features, sold at Bonhams, New York, 17 September 2014, lot 49. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com Very good condition overall, with obvious loss to the inlays of the eyes and corrosion to the iron sword, as is visible in images. Faint scratches and oxidized areas from exposure to moisture intermittently throughout. There is a light layer of dust in recessed areas. Please contact Sidney Lee (sidney.lee@bonhams.com) for related condition report images.