Kashmir, Avalokiteshvara (6)

8th-9th century (or later?), Kashmir, Padmapani Avalokiteshvara, bronze with silver-inlaid eyes and urna, copper-inlaid lips, nipples, and navel, 16 cm, private collection, The Graceful Path to Awakening lot 6, Hollywood Galleries

Avalokiteshvara – with an antelope skin over his left shoulder, an effigy of Amitabha at the front of his three-point crown, the stem of an open lotus in his left hand, and his right hand extended in the gesture of supreme generosity – is seated with his right leg on top of the left one, a feature we have more often seen on (Kashmiri) sculptures of Manjushri. His dhoti is decorated with a stippled lotus pattern and incised geometrical lines.

Kashmir, buddhas

9th century, Kashmir, Buddha Shakyamuni, bronze, 17,5 cm, The Moke Mokotoff Collection lot 304, 13th September 2023, Christie’s

Dressed in a garment that covers both shoulders, the historical buddha raises his right hand to dispel fear and holds a piece of fabric in the other, closer to his body than almost identical statues from Kashmir seen previously, all with the same type of pedestal.

9th century, Kashmir, Northern India, Maitreya (or Shakyamuni?), metal, private collection, item 11481 on Himalayan Art Resources

The hand gesture is usually Maitreya’s but the appearance is that of a crowned buddha (monastic garment, crown, some jewellery but not the full set) seated on a lion throne with both legs pendent. We saw two similar brass figures from the Potala collection, cautiously labelled ‘Buddha Maitreya or Shakyamuni (?)’ by Ulrich von Schroeder in his extraordinary publication ‘Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Volume One’ (p.120-121, fig. 25A and 25B). See also ‘Images of the Crowned Buddha Along the Silk Road: Iconography and Ideology’ by Rebecca Twist . As the face on this copper alloy image has not been painted with cold gold and pigments, we can see that the eyes and urna are inlaid with silver.

Kashmir, seated buddhas (14)

7th century, Northwestern India, Kashmir schools, Buddha Shakyamuni, brass, 36,5 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Volume One, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 91 pl. 13B, at the Ya phyi lha khang of the Bri gung mthil monastery (Drigung Thil, Tibet).

The Kashmiri lion throne typically includes a yaksha at the centre. Shakyamuni holds an alms bowl and a piece of his garment in his left hand. His right hand makes a gesture as if holding something between the forefinger and the thumb.

7th-8th century, Kashmir, Crowned Buddha Maitreya or Shakyamuni, brass, 17,7 cm, photo as before (p. 121 pl. 25B), Potala Collection, inventory nº 478 at the Sa gsum lha khang, Lhasa (Tibet).

Such figures seated with both legs pendent are usually identified as Maitreya, but when he wears a crown he usually has a bare chest and wears a scarf and the full set of princely jewellery seen on bodhisattvas. Shakyamuni, on the other hand, wears a monastic garment that covers most of his chest, and in Gandhara and Kashmir he often wears earrings, a necklace, and armbands but no anklets or bracelets. The above is wearing bracelets but no anklets.

11th-12th century, Kashmir (or Western Tibet?), Vajrasattva, (labelled ‘Padmasambhava’), bronze, 14 cm, private collection, Decorative Art lot 171, 22nd October 2021, photo on Drouot

We saw an almost identical statue of Vajrasattva (reproduced below for comparison), also attributed to Kashmir, yet the shape of the crown, with huge side bows with split ends, the low forehead, and the overall facial features differ quite a lot from Kashmiri standards. The distinctive decoration on the halo, the style of the lotus seat, and the stepped throne bring to mind a couple of buddhas seen on Sotheby’s and liveauctioneers, attributed to ‘Ladakh or Western Tibet’ and ‘Kashmir or Tibet respectively.

Circa 10th century Kashmir, Vajrasattva, bronze, private collection, photo by Nagel Auction, 2017.

Pala India, Yamantaka (2)

12th century, Northeastern India, Krsna Yamantaka, brass, 15 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Volume One, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 302 pl. 102B, Potala Collection, Lima Lhakhang, inventory nº 564, Lhasa (Tibet).

Yamantaka in his Black (Krishna) Yamari aspect comes under various forms, with 1 head to 9 heads, 2 to 6 arms, 2 to 6 legs. The above has three heads, each with three eyes and bared fangs, six hands, in which he holds a vajra sceptre, a sword, a flaying knife (right hands), a lotus flower, a wheel, a skull cup (left hands) and two legs. This form of Yamari has an effigy of Akshobhya at the front of his main head (between the flaming hair and the tiara) and stands on two victims (four in this case, according to the author) atop a buffalo facing to his right (in India). He wears a tiger skin loin cloth held in place with a belt, a thin scarf, a garland of severed heads, bone jewellery, and snakes.

Unlabelled (circa 12th century? Indian artist in Tibet?, Yamari? brass), photo on Deities Unveiled Deities Unveiled: Himalayan Art from the Collection of Dr John N. Loomis, 2022.

A similar figure from a Tibetan Collection, also with an effigy of Akshobhya in his hair, holding a sword, a wheel, a vajra sceptre (?) on a stick (right hands), a lotus flower, a lotus bud, and making a wrathful gesture with his main left hand. The buffalo faces the other way round.

Kashmir, seated buddhas (13)

7th century, Kashmir, Karkota Dynasty, Buddha Shakyamuni, brass (probably with silver-inlaid eyes and urna), 14,4 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Volume One, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 97 pl. 16B, Potala Collection, Lima Lhakhang inventory nº 1384, Lhasa (Tibet).

Seated on a lotus atop a stepped plinth, the historical buddha holds a piece of his garment in the left hand and makes the fear-allaying gesture with the other.

7th-8th century, Kashmir, Crowned Buddha Maitreya or Shakyamuni, brass, probably with silver-inlaid eyes and urna, photo as before (p. 120 pl. 25A), Potala Collection, Lima Lhakhang inventory nº 588, Lhasa (Tibet).

In the Kashmir area the crowned buddha nearly always wears a four-pointed cape over his robe, and therefore no armbands, only a necklace and earrings (no bracelets or anklets). The above, whose robe covers only the left arm, is seated on a lion throne associated with Shakyamuni. He makes the ‘turning the wheel of dharma‘ gesture normally displayed by Maitreya but we have seen various Karkota Dynasty examples of the crowned buddha making this gesture too. (See also ‘Images of the Crowned Buddha along the Silk Road; Iconography and Ideology’ by Rebecca Twist

Pala India, Trailokyavijaya

10th century, Northeastern India, Trailokyavijaya, brass, 24 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Volume One, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 297 pl. 99D, Potala Collection, Lima Lhakhang inventory nº 1421, Lhasa (Tibet).

This masterpiece depicts Trailokyavijaya in his eight-arm form, each of his four heads adorned with a low tiara and the effigy of a buddha, his two legs stepping on Maheshvara and Gauri or Uma.

His main hands are crossed over his heart with the  palm out (vajrahumkara mudra), the remaining right hands hold an arrow, a sword, a vajra sceptre; the left ones hold a bow, a vajra hook, a noose. The backplate with a flaming edge includes a row of vajra sceptres and a flaming nimbus. There is a string of buddha effigies over his arms. Some sources describe his four faces, each with three eyes, as expressing anger, amorous passion, disgust, and heroism.

A triad from Kashmir (2)

Circa 12th century, Kashmir, 2nd Lohara Dynasty, Padmapani (Avalokiteshvara), Buddha Shakyamuni, Vajrapani, brass 24,1 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Volume One, Visual Dharma Publications, p. 193 pl. 58C, Potala Collection, Bla ma lha khang, inventory nº 1870, Lhasa (Tibet).

Avalokitesvhara makes a gesture of reassurance with his right hand and clutches the stem of a lotus in the other, Vajrapani holds his attribute in his right hand while the other is placed against his left hip. Shakyamuni also makes the fear-allaying gesture and has a piece of his garment in his left hand. They stand on individual lotus pedestals atop an openwork plinth with a yaksha and two lions at the front.

Kashmir, Avalokiteshvara – 6 arms (3)

Circa 10th century, Kashmir, Sugatisandarshana form of Avalokiteshvara (?), brass, 20,5 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Volume One, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 183 pl. 53B, Potala Collection, inventory nº 565 at the Lima Lakhang, Lhasa (Tibet).

Avalokiteshvara, identified by the effigy of Amitabha in his hair and the antelope skin over his left shoulder, is seated with a leg pendent, on a cylindrical lotus seat atop a rocky openwork plinth decorated with and antelope and a lion. His lower right hand makes the gesture of generosity, the middle one is held towards his face in a pensive gesture, the upper one clutches a rosary, just like the Kashmiri ‘Sugatisamdarsana-Lokesvara’ at the Musée Guimet seen in a previous post. His lower left hand holds the stem of a lotus, the middle one holds a water pot, the upper one holds a staff (unlike other figures seen previously, who hold an elephant goad). He is adorned with a sacred thread, princely jewellery, and a matching belt, but has no crown.

10th-11th century, Kashmir, Sugatisandarshana form of Avalokiteshvara (?), brass, 18 cm, photo as before, p. 182 pl. 53A, Potala Collection, inventory nº 1142 at the Lima Lakhang, Lhasa (Tibet).

This one, with a plain stepped plinth, holds the same attributes and in the same order.

Kashmir, Chakrasamvara

9th-10th century, Kashmir, Chakrasamvara, copper alloy and brass, 18 cm, private collection, Indian and Himalayan Art lot 118, 21st March 2023, Sotheby’s .

Samvara, in his 4-head and 12-arm heruka form, in embrace with his consort. He has a crescent moon, a sun disc, and a visvajra in his hair, which is topped with a wish-granting gem. He wears a tiger skin loin cloth, she is naked, they are adorned with skull-crowns, bone jewellery, a garland of skulls for him, a belt with skull pendants for her.

Circa 11th century, Kashmir Schools in Western Tibet, brass, 15,6 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Volume One, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 198 pl. 61A, Potala Collection, inventory nº 196 at the Sa gsum lha khang, Lhasa (Tibet).

The same form, complete with the two victims under their feet (Hindu deities Kalaratri and Bhairava, who represent ignorance and ego respectively), and the lotus base beneath. We can clearly see that in his upper hands Samvara holds the hide of an elephant above his head. His main hands hold a vajra sceptre and a vajra bell across Vajravarahi’s back. His remaining right hands hold a stick, an axe, a flaying knife, a drum. The remaining left ones hold a skull cup, a ritual staff, a noose, Brahma’s head (with four faces). She holds a skull cup and a flaying knife.

We saw an impressive Kashmiri sculpture of Samvara (Chakrasamvara refers to the union of the two) on LACMA

Kashmir, Avalokiteshvara – six arms (2)

8th or 9th century possibly, Kashmir, Avalokiteshvara, black stone, photo by D. Lewiston, on Tharah Kardu , at the Trilokinath Temple in Tunde, Lahul and Spiti District, Himachal Pradesh (formerly part of the ancient Tibetan kingdom), India.

We saw a marble image of the bodhisattva of compassion (see photo on above link) from the same temple, originally dedicated to Avalokiteshvara. This is quite a different style, with sharp facial features, developed pectorals, a lobed navel, a tall crown – all typical of Kashmir. It represents the same one-head and six-arm form of Avalokiteshvara, known as Sugatisamdarshana. He sits with a leg pendent, his lower right hand extended in the gesture of generosity, the next one up (broken here) in the fear-allaying gesture, the upper one clutching a rosary. His left hands hold an elephant goad, the stem of a lotus, the neck of a ritual water pot.