Beschreibung:

Lot details Scientific Analysis Report: A thermoluminescence sample analysis has been conducted by Arcadia, Tecnologie Per I Beni Culturali, Milan, dated 4 February 2019, reference no. 116L, 117L. The result is consistent with the suggested period of manufacture. A copy of the thermoluminescence analysis report accompanies this lot. Expert’s note: The frescoes painted to the two columns on the present sculpture display a decidedly Chinese influence. Numerous such mural paintings have been found in Imperial tombs in China dating to the Northern Qi period (550-577), but the paintings on the present sculpture are among the oldest Buddhist frescoes in the history of mankind. They are also closely related to the paintings on the ceilings and walls of the Ajanta Caves, which were painted between 200 BC and 600 AD, and are the oldest known frescoes in India. They depict the Jataka tales, stories of Buddha's life in former existences as a Bodhisattva. The narrative episodes are shown one after another although not in a linear order. Their identification has been a core area of research on the subject since the time of the site's rediscovery in 1819. Kushan period, 4th-6th century. Superbly modeled, Prince Siddharta is standing in contrapposto, his feet resting on two small lotus pedestals, a prostrate caparisoned elephant at his feet. One hand resting on his waist and the other raised with one finger placed on his forehead in a deeply pensive expression. He is wearing loose-fitting robes cascading in voluminous folds and richly adorned with fine jewelry and billowing scarves. His serene face with heavy-lidded almond-shaped eyes and slender lips forming a calm smile. The hair arranged in wavy locks secured by an elaborate floral headdress. All below a canopy representing the legendary bodhi tree. Provenance: A private collection in Venice, Italy, acquired in the Italian antiques trade between 1985 and 1992. Leonardo Vigorelli, Bergamo, acquired from the above. Leonardo Vigorelli is a retired Italian art dealer and noted collector, specializing in African and ancient Hindu-Buddhist art. After studying anthropology and decades of travel as well as extensive field research in India, the Himalayan region, Southeast Asia, and Africa, he founded the Dalton Somaré art gallery in Milan, Italy, which today is being run by his two sons. Condition: Superb condition, commensurate with age and presenting magnificently overall. Some wear and weathering, firing flaws as expected, some nicks and cracks, losses to exposed areas, remnants of old varnish. The ancient pigments are remarkably well-preserved. Overall, fully consistent with the high age of this sculpture and with no visible signs of repairs or touchups worth mentioning. Drilled holes from sample-taking. Dimensions: Size 59 x 81 cm (excl. stand), Height 63 cm (incl. stand) Mounted on an associated stand. (2) Prince Siddharta is flanked by two flying apsaras as well as Maitreya to his right and Padmapani to his left, the bodhisattvas each standing on lotus pedestals and similarly dressed, Padmapani holding a lotus flower in his hand, both backed by halos and standing below similar leafy canopies, all framed by two massive columns, each with a superbly painted fresco, depicting a bodhisattva with a halo. This sculpture is a perfect example of the rich cultural interplay and hybrid art styles of the Gandharan empire in the first centuries CE. It represents the bodhisattva who will be born as the historic founder of Buddhism, Prince Siddhartha, sitting in a celestial abode called the Tushita heaven, where he teaches the gods and meditates on his future birth. Like other Gandharan bodhisattvas, he looks like an earthly prince, richly dressed and bejeweled. The kingdom of Gandhara lasted from 530 BC to 1021 AD, when its last king was murdered by his own troops. It stretched across parts of present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan. Gandhara is noted for its distinctive style in Buddhist art, which devel