Tibet, Shakyamuni – seated (37)

Circa 12th century, Tibet, Shakyamuni, brass, 35,5 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Volume Two, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 1148 pl. 301A, at the Shalu monastery (Tibet).

13th century, Tibet, Buddha Shakyamuni, gilt copper, 24,5 cm, photo as before, p. 1028 pl. 254B , at the Palkhor Chode monastic complex in Gyantse (Tibet).

11th-12th century, Tibet, Shakyamuni, copper alloy with a copper hem and gilding added later, 11,8 cm, private collection, Asian Art Auction A177AS lot 105, 6th June 2016, Koller.

Undated (15th century?), Tibet, Shakyamuni, (painted clay?), from a photo by Dudul Dorjay, 2011, on virginia.edu, main image in the arhat shrine, Palkhor Chode monastic complex in Gyantse (Tibet).

Undated (15th century?), Tibet, Shakyamuni, (painted clay?), photo by Dudul Dorjay, 2011, on virginia.edu, main image in the arhat shrine, Palkhor Chode monastic complex in Gyantse (Tibet).

Labelled ’17th-18th century, Tibeto-Chinese’ (or earlier, Tibet?), Shakyamuni, gilt bronze with copper and turquoise inlay, 9,4 cm, at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne (Australia).

Tibet, Shakyamuni – variants (11)

14th century, Tibet, Buddha Shakyamuni, gilt bronze, 11,2 cm, private collection, auction 819 China I, lot 2, Nagel

The right hand makes the gesture of supreme generosity, the left one makes the gesture of meditation, a posture that could also represent Svaraghosaraja and Abhijnaraja, two of the medicine buddhas, or Candanashri one of the 35 confession buddhas.

14th-15th century, Tibet, Buddha, bronze with copper inlay, cold gold, pigment, 25 cm, private collection, Auction A207AS lot 103, 28th November 2023, Koller.

This buddha makes the fear-allaying gesture with his right hand, which could also depict Suparikirtita Namashri, another of the medicine buddhas.

14th-15th century, Tibet, Buddha Shakyamuni (labelled ‘Amitabha’ on Bonhams ), gilt copper alloy, 24,8 cm, The Claude de Marteau Collection Part IV, lot 6, 6th October 2023, Bonhams

Tibet, Shakyamuni – seated (36)

13th century, Tibet, Gautama Siddhartha, Buddha, bronze with copper alloy, cold gold, pigments, 21,5 cm, private collection, Purity and Enlightenment lot 12, Hollywood Galleries

13th century, Tibet, Buddha Shakyamuni, gilt bronze, 36,4 cm, private collection, Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art lot 1701, China Guardian (Hong Kong).

14th century, Central Tibet, Densatil Monastery, Shakyamuni, gilt copper alloy, 13,9 cm, private collection, Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art lot 772, 20th March 2024, Bonhams

14th century, Tibet, Gautama Siddhartha, Buddha, gilt bronze, 18,5 cm, private collection, Purity and Enlightenment as before, lot 13, Hollywood Galleries.

15th century, Tibet, Shakyamuni, gilt bronze, 16,5 cm, private collection, Zhantan Lin: the Highlights of Buddhist Art lot 572, 7th October 2023, China Guardian (Hong Kong).

15th century, Tibet, Buddha Shakyamuni, gilt bronze, 16,5 cm, private collection, Indian and Himalayan Art lot 847, 21st march 2024, Sotheby’s

17th century, Tibet, Buddha, bronze, 12,8 cm, auction M0009, The Arts of the Himalayas lot 76, 16th December 2014, Pundole’s

17th century, Tibet, Shakyamuni, bronze, 22 cm, private collection, Auction 19 lot 114, 24th February 2024, Hardt

17th century, Tibet, Buddha Shakyamuni as per an inscription on the base, bronze with silver inlay and traces of gilding, no size, given, photo on wisdomlib, at the Patan Museum (Nepal).

Tibet, Shakyamuni with attendants

14th century, Tibet, Buddha Shakyamuni with Padmapani and Vajrapani possibly, gilt copper, 48 cm, 67,5 cm with halo, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Volume Two, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 962 pl. 231A, at the Shalu monastery (Tibet).

The two small figures standing on each side of Shakyamuni make the same hand gestures and neither of them holds an attribute, which makes identification uncertain. The author explains that these bodhisattvas are likely to be Avalokiteshvara in his padmapani form and Vajrapani. On the cross bar above them are two makaras, two naga kings, and a garuda.

Tibet, Shakyamuni seated – dhyana mudra (3)

Circa 12th century, Tibet, Nepalese schools, Buddha Shakyamuni, copper with traces of gilding, 12,5 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Volume Two, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 947 pl. 224E , at the gTsug lha khang of the Mindroling monastery (Tibet).

Two statues of the historical buddha seated on a cushion, his legs locked and his hands in the gesture of meditation. His monastic garment covers one shoulder only.

Circa 12th century, Tibet, Nepalese schools, Buddha Shakyamuni, copper, 11,8 cm, photo as before (p. 947 pl. 224 D), at the Palkor Chode monastic complex in Gyantse (Tibet).

16th-17th century, Tibet, Buddha, gilt bronze, 23 cm, private collection, photo on Michael Backman

Tibet, Shakyamuni – seated (34)

14th century, Tibet, Nepalese schools, Buddha Shakyamuni, gilt copper, 17,7 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Volume Two, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 963 pl. 231C, at the Palkor Chode monastic complex in Gyantse (Tibet).

14th century, Tibet, Nepalese schools, Buddha Shakyamuni, gilt copper, 59 cm, photoas before (p. 962 pl. 231B), at the Palkor Chode monastic complex in Gyantse (Tibet).

15th century, Tibet, Nepalese schools, Buddha Shakyamuni, gilt copper, 56 cm, photo as before (p. 963 pl. 231D), at the Jokhang of the Shalu monastery (Tibet).

Circa 15th century, Tibet, Nepalese schools, Buddha Shakyamuni, gilt copper, 49 cm, photo as before (p. 958 pl. 229B), at the Shalu monastery (Tibet).

Circa 14th century (or later?), Tibet, Buddha Shakyamuni, gilt bronze, 13,5 cm, private collection, Auction 814 lot 154, Nagel

Circa 17th century, Tibet, Buddha, stone, 23 cm, Collection Annick and Alain Cical Part I, lot 104, Millon

Tibet, Shakyamuni – seated (33)

13th century, Tibet, Buddha Shakyamuni, brass with a copper-inlaid hem, 28,9 cm, private collection, Images of Devotion lot 1849, 1st December 2023, Bonhams (Hong Kong).

13th century, Tibet, Shakyamuni, bronze with a copper-inlaid hem, 15 cm, private collection, Auction 819 lot 7, 7th December 2023, Nagel

15th century, Tibet, Buddha Shakyamuni, bronze with silver-inlaid eyes and hem, 22,5 cm, private collection, Auction 814 lot 133, 12th June 2023, Nagel

15th century, Tibet, Buddha Shakyamuni, gilt bronze, 14 cm, private collection, as before, lot 139.

Circa 15th century, Tibet, Buddha Shakyamuni, gilt copper alloy, 37,5 cm, private collection, Images of Devotion as above, lot 1810, Bonhams

15th century, Tibet, Buddha Shakyamuni, gilt copper alloy, 30 cm, Asian Arts lot 36, 12th December 2023, Sotheby’s (Paris).

15th century, Tibet/Nepal, Buddha, gilt copper alloy with traces of red lacquer, 14 cm, private collection, Important Winter Sale lot 1006, Bonhams (Stockholm)

15th century, Tibet, Buddha Shakyamuni, gilt bronze, 19,3 cm, private collection, Asian Art lot 69, 7th December 2023, Bonhams (Sydney).

16th century, Tibet, Buddha Shakyamuni, gilt bronze, 22,6 cm, private collection, Auction 814 as above, lot 151, Nagel

Circa 16th century, Tibet, Buddha Shakyamuni, bronze with cold gold, 15,7 cm, private collection, same as before, lot 150.

16th century, Tibet, Buddha Shakyamuni, gilt copper alloy, 11 cm, private collection, Asian Art A207AS, lot 113, 28th November 2023, Koller

16th-17th century, Tibet, Buddha, gilt copper alloy, 8,5 cm, private collection, as before, lot 105, Koller

Tibet, Shakyamuni – seated (32)

13th-14th century, Tibet, Buddha, gilt copper alloy, 9,5 cm, private collection, Arts of India, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas Online, lot 604, 24th March 2023 Bonhams

13th-14th century, Tibet or Nepal, Buddha Shakyamuni, gilt copper alloy (with turquoise and lapis lazuli), 12,7 cm, The Claude de Marteau Collection Part III, lot 29, 14th June 2023, Bonhams (Paris).

13th-14th century, West(ern) Tibet, Buddha, gilt copper alloy, 22,8 cm, The Claude de Marteau Collection Part IV, lot 2, 6th October 2023, photo and notes by Dora Tan on Bonhams (Hong Kong).

Circa 15th century, Tibet, Shakyamuni, bronze, 9 cm, private collection, Auction 814, China I lot 149, 12th June 2023, Nagel

15th century, Tibet, Shakyamuni, bronze, 8,8 cm, Auction 814 as before, lot 152, Nagel.

15th century, Tibet, (probably from a Tsang workshop), Buddha Shakyamuni, copper (alloy) with silver-inlaid eyes, 15,7 cm, Asian Art 809 lot 20, 7th July 2022, Nagel

15th century, Tibet, Buddha Shakyamuni, gilt copper alloy, 22 cm, private collection, Dharma and Tantra lot 102, 18th September 2023, Sotheby’s

Circa 16th century, Tibet, Buddha, gilt copper alloy, 13,7 cm, private collection, Arts of India, Southeast Asia and the Himalayas as before, lot 605, Bonhams.

16th century, Tibet, Buddha, copper (alloy), 19,5 cm, private collection, Asian Art 809 as before, lot 39b, Nagel

Tibet, Shakyamuni – seated (31)

14th century, Tibet, Buddha Vajrasana, bronze with copper and silver inlay, 15,9 cm, The Moke Mokotoff Collection lot 377, 13th September 2023, Christie’s

The historical buddha is seated on a lotus base with a half embedded vajra sceptre at the front, symbolising the place where he reached enlightenment.

14th century, Tibet, Buddha Shakyamuni, gilt copper alloy (with cold gold and pigments), 21,4 cm, The Claude de Marteau Collection Part IV, lot 23, 6th October 2023, Bonhams (Hong Kong).

14th-15th century, Tibet, Buddha Vajrasana, gilt copper alloy, 17,9 cm, as before, lot 12, on Bonhams

16th century, Tibet, Shakyamuni, bronze with cold gold and pigment, 18,5 cm, private collection, European and Asian Art lot 338, 6th June 2023, Loeckx.

17th century, Tibet, Buddha Shakyamuni, gilt copper alloy, 16 cm, The Claude de Marteau Collection as before, lot 18 on Bonhams.

17th-18th century, Tibet, Buddha Vajrasana, bronze with copper and silver inlay, 17,5 cm, private collection, Asia! lot 61, 28th September 2021, Christie’s

Tibet, Shakyamuni – variants (10)

7th century, Nepalese artist in Tibet, Buddha sheltered by the nagaraja Mucalinda and attended by two naginis, wood, photo courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Volume One, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 417 pl. 133C, doorway to the ‘Protector Maitreya Chapel’ at the Jokhang, Lhasa (Tibet).

The historical buddha is making the gesture of debate/argumentation with his right hand while the other is cupped in the gesture of meditation.

14th century, Tibet, the teaching Buddha, copper alloy, 12 cm, private collection, Asian Art at Bruun Rasmussen lot 80, 29th November 2022, Bonhams, Copenhagen.

This Tibetan masterpiece depicts him with his hands close together, making the ‘turning the wheel of dharma‘ gesture. The border of his garment is deeply incised with a wavy pattern and there is a stippled motif on the piece of cloth folded over his left shoulder.

14th century, Tibet, Buddha Shakyamuni, bronze, 19,7 cm, The Moke Mokotoff Collection lot 381, 13th September 2022, Christie’s.

A rare image of him with a rather sad gaze, his left hand holding a bowl secured with three fingers and the other making a gesture similar to the karana mudra (used to ward off evil) but upside-down. The border of his robe is decorated with a geometrical motif and there are no folds on his left shoulder. There is a particularly large lotus bud on top of his chignon.