A LARGE GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI, KANGXI TO YONGZHENG PERIOD
China, 1662-1735. Superbly cast, seated in dhyanasana atop a double-lotus base finely detailed with scrolls to the petals and beaded edges. His right hand is lowered in bhumisparsha mudra and his left held above his lap in dhyana mudra. He is wearing a monastic robe neatly incised with foliate hems over an undergarment secured above the waist. His serene face with heavy-lidded eyes above gently arched brows centered by a raised circular urna, above bow-shaped lips forming a calm smile, flanked by pendulous slitted earlobes. His hair is arranged in tight curls over the high ushnisha topped by a jewel. Note the extremely fine beading to the edges, typical for Imperial Buddhist bronzes from the period.


Provenance:
Dutch trade. By repute from a private estate in Amsterdam.

Condition:
Good condition with expected old wear and minor casting irregularities, light surface scratches, and tiny nicks. The hollow interior with distinct red pigment. The hair with remnants of blue pigment. The seal plate and contents lost. The cavities with remnants of ancient varnish overall. Fine, naturally grown patina.

Weight: 8,390 g
Dimensions: Height 34.3 cm


Displaying tremendous power and presence
, this impressive figure of Buddha Shakyamuni is notable for the crisp casting and the meticulous attention to detail which is echoed in the gentle folds of the elegant monastic robes, finely embellished with foliate scroll.


The figure of Shakyamuni
is one of the most widely represented subjects in Buddhist art. Modeled in the earth-touching gesture or bhumisparsha mudra, the Buddha recalls the moment of his Enlightenment, in which he called upon the earth as his witness of his battle against the temptations and attacks of Mara and his demons. The serene countenance conveyed by the gentle facial features, with the eyes depicted half closed in meditation and the elongated earlobes symbolizing long life, follows the standard rules for the depiction of Buddha to ensure the deity was shown embodying maximum power.


Literature comparison:

Compare a related gilt-bronze figure of Bhaisajyaguru Buddha dated by inscription to the 21st year of Kangxi (1682), but with more elaborately decorated robes, illustrated in Gems of Beijing Cultural Relics Series, Buddhist Statues I, Beijing, 2001, pp. 212-13, no. 180 and 181. A related gilt-bronze figure of Buddha Shakyamuni, wearing similar robes, of smaller size (20.2 cm), dated to the 18th century, is illustrated in Buddhist Images in Gilt Metal, Chang Foundation, Taipei, 1993, p. 45, no. 15.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 17 March 2017, lot 1030
Price: USD 211,500 or approx.
EUR 243,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt-bronze figure of Buddha, Kangxi-Yongzheng period
Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of casting, modeling with remarkably similar base, and near-identical gilding.
Also note the identical size (34.3 cm).
Note the somewhat different face, with slightly wider features and a gentle widow’s peak, and that the robe is draped over only one shoulder.




康熙至雍正時期銅鎏金釋迦牟尼像

中國，1662-1735 年。鑄造精美，釋迦牟尼結跏趺坐坐於雙層蓮座上，蓮座蓮辦厚實，邊緣有精美串珠紋。他的右手垂下結觸地印，左手放在膝蓋上方結“禪定印”。他身著一件袈裟，衣紋流暢。釋迦牟尼面容平靜安詳，雙眼低垂，雙眉之間有白毫，面帶微笑，兩側是長耳垂。他的頭髮成螺髻寶珠頂，這是該時期皇家佛教銅器造像的典型特徵。


來源：
荷蘭古玩交易，阿姆斯特丹知名私人莊園。

品相：
狀況良好，有磨損和輕微的鑄造不規則、輕微的表面劃痕和微小的刻痕，中空的內部帶有明顯的紅色顏料。頭髮上殘留著藍色。密封板和內容丟失。腔内整體上殘留著古代清漆的痕跡。精美、自然的包漿。

重量：8,390 克
尺寸：高 34.3 厘米


文獻比較:

比較一件的相近的康熙二十一年(1682年)鎏金銅藥師佛像，但有更精緻裝飾的長袍，見《Gems of Beijing Cultural Relics Series，Buddhist Statues I》，北京，2001年，頁212-13，編號180和181。一件相近的十八世紀鎏金銅釋迦牟尼，有類似的長袍，尺寸較小 (20.2 厘米)，見《Buddhist Images in Gilt Metal》，Chang Foundation，台北，1993年，頁45，編號15。


拍賣比較：

形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2017年3月17日，lot 1030
價錢：USD 211,500（相當今日
EUR 243,000
）
描述：清康熙/雍正銅鎏金佛坐像
專家註釋：比較非常相近的鑄造風格、蓮坐 ，以及幾乎相同的鎏金。請注意幾乎相同尺寸 (34.3 厘米)。請注意臉型有些不同，五官稍寬，峰峰柔和，長袍只披在一個肩膀上。