A fine gilt-bronze figure of Shakyamuni Buddha


Nepal, 17th century Well cast seated on a lotus petal throne with crossed legs, with an urna on his forehead and eyes closed, his left hand resting on his legs with the palm facing upward, his right hand over his right leg touching the lotus throne in 'Earth Witness' bhumisparsa mudra. 19.5cm (7 5/8in) high.
|十七世紀 尼泊爾 銅鎏金釋迦牟尼佛Provenance: A French private Collection來源：法國私人舊藏The finely cast figure depicts the Shakyamuni Buddha reaching forward with his right hand to call the earth to witness his right to attain enlightenment. Although the casting of the lotus base, with its separately cast lower half affixed on the interior is typical of Nepalese conventions during the 17th century, the modelling of the present lot, especially the slim and elegant lotus petals of the pedestal, and the tightly drawn robe over the body draw inspiration from the earlier prototypes. Compare with a Nepalese style Tibetan Akshobhya, 14th century, in the Berti Aschmann Collection, Museum Rietberg, Zurich, cast with similar slim lotus petals, illustrated by H.Uhlig, On the Path to Enlightenment, Zurich, 1995, p.75, no.32; see also a Nepalese gilt-bronze Shakyamuni Buddha, 13th/14th century, with similar modelling of the robe, illustrated by U.von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, vol.1, Hong Kong, 2001, p.523, pl.170C.Compare with a related gilt-bronze buddha of similar size, Nepal, 15th century, in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, modelled seated in similar posture but on a single lotus base (acc.no.68.8.36); see another larger gilt-bronze seated figure of Shuradatta made by a Newar artist for patrons of Central Tibet, 17th century, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (acc.no.M.75.4.21).釋尊結全跏趺坐，左手置腹前，結禪定印，右手指地，施「觸地印」，意表釋迦牟尼於菩提樹下成道，召喚地神見證之手印。雖然此尊佛像之雙層蓮瓣分體鑄造方式比較接近十七世紀尼泊爾造像工藝，然相對瘦小之蓮瓣，以及其長袍貼身的表現方式更有尼泊爾早期為西藏造像的遺風。參看一件尼泊爾風格的西藏十四世紀銅鎏金阿閦佛坐像，其蓮瓣與本器類似，見H.Uhlig，《On the Path to Enlightenment》，蘇黎士，1995年，頁75，編號32；另見一件尼泊爾十三/十四世紀銅鎏金釋迦牟尼佛，著錄於施羅德，《Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet》，卷1，香港，2001年，頁523，圖版170C。弗吉尼亞藝術博物館藏一件十五世紀尼泊爾銅鎏金釋迦牟尼佛坐像，除蓮座為單層外，其風格與本品極其相似（館藏編號68.8.36）；洛杉磯郡立藝術博物館中亦有一件尺寸稍大的銅鎏金佛坐像，時代定為十七世紀，為尼泊爾工匠為西藏製作（館藏編號M.75.4.21）。