Beschreibung:

A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF BUDDHAKHASA MALLA, 14TH CENTURY
Himalayan Art Resources item no. 4914
14.5 cm (4 11/16 in.) highFootnotes卡薩馬拉 十四世紀 銅鎏金佛陀像
Provenance:
With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s
Shakyamuni Buddha's enlightenment, depicted here as he gestures in the earth touching mudra, marks the profound awakening of his mind and his transcendence of the cycle of suffering. The style of the figure originates within or nearby the territories that were ruled by the Khasa Mallas, a Buddhist Kingdom in Western Nepal and Western Tibet that flourished between the 12th and 14th centuries (Alsop, "The Metal Sculpture of the Khasa Malla Kingdom" in Singer & Denwood (eds.), Tibetan Art, Towards a Definition of Style, 1997, pp. 68-79).
The Khasa Mallas were known to incorporate the stylistic elements of neighboring Buddhist kingdoms into their sculptures, such as those found in the artistic centers of the Late Pala period in Northeast India and the Early Malla period in the Kathmandu Valley. In the case of this figure, its broad physique, hooked nose, and rice-grain patterns incised on the hemline of the robe show a greater degree of borrowing from Malla period sculptures. Its expression also compares favorably to an exceptional Nepalese Tara from the Zimmerman Family Collection, sold at Bonhams, New York, 21 March 2023, lot 513. At the same time, Shakyamuni's, arched brow and fishtail-shaped sash draping over his left shoulder are diagnostic of the Khasa Malla style. For example, see a Buddha image with a similarly tall and pointed ushnisha in the Essen Collection (HAR 3313900). See also another Buddha from the Claude de Marteau Collection, Part 3, sold in Bonhams, Paris, 12 June 2023, lot 33.