Tibet, Avalokiteshvara – seated (15)

Circa 14th century, Tibet, Avalokiteshvara, possibly in his padmapani form, gilt copper, 49 cm, Nepalese schools, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Volume Two, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 958 pl. 229A, at the Shalu monastery (Tibet).

As we have seen before, Nepalese artists rarely depict padmapani Avalokiteshvara with an antelope skin over his shoulder, and not always with an effigy of Amitabha in his headdress. The right hand is extended in the gesture of supreme generosity, the other displays the gesture to bestow patience.

14th century, Tibet, Avalokiteshvara, Khasarpani form, metal (brass) with silver inlay, private collection, photo on HAR

Circa 15th century, Tibet, Khasarpani Lokeshvara, gilt copper alloy, 23 cm, Asian Art lot 67, 12th June 2021, Cornette de Saint-Cyr on aaoarts

15th century, Tibet, Avalokiteshvara, Khasarpani form, gilt metal (copper or copper alloy with cold gold, pigments, stone inlay), private collection, photo on HAR

Khasarpani/Khasarpana may apply to Padmapani Lokeshvara, although it often refers to an ascetic form of Avalokiteshvara with no crown and no jewellery, usually seated with a leg pendent (especially in India).

16th-17th century, Tibet, ascetic form of Padmapani (Avalokiteshvara) or Shri Potalake Lokanatha, gilt copper, 18,2 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder, as before, p. 1075 pl. 261D, Potala Collection, Lima Lhakhang, inventory nº 1470, Lhasa (Tibet).

Tibet, Vajrabhairava (15)

14th-15th century, Tibet, Guhyasadhana Dharmaraja, gilt copper, 11,2 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Volume Two, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 1050 pl. 265A, Potala Collection, Lima Lhakhang inventory nº 72, Lhasa (Tibet).

Like sahaja Vajrabhairava, this one-head and two-arm form stands atop a prostrate bull, naked and ithyphallic, adorned with a skull crown and bone jewellery and holding a flaying knife and a skull cup before his chest. He doesn’t have a garland of severed heads around his neck or an elephant hide on his back, and his head is topped with Manjushri’s.

Circa 15th century, Tibet, Vajrabhairava, gilt copper, 28,7 cm, photo as before, p. 1051 pl. 265C, Potala Collection, Bla ma lha khang inventory nº 807, Lhasa (Tibet).

Vajrabhairava with 9 heads, 34 hands, and 16 legs, in embrace with his consort, who holds a skull cup and a flaying knife. They stand on eight Hindu deities and eight animals (mammals on one side, birds on the other). The upper hands hold the hide of an elephant, the main hands hold a flaying knife and a skull cup, the remaining ones hold a variety of peaceful and wrathful attributes.

Circa 16th century, Tibet, Vajrabhairava, brass, 22 cm, photo as before, p. 1117 pl. 293E, Potala Collection, Sa gsum lha khang inventory nº 2051, Lhasa (Tibet).

Tibet, Maitreya – various postures (12)

Circa 13th century, Tibet, Maitreya, brass, 25,8 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Volume Two, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 1157 pl. 305B, at the Tsong dus tshogs pa (Tsongdu Tsokpa) monastery, Central Tibet.

Maitreya depicted as a bodhisattva, adorned with a crown, princely jewellery, and a sash tightly drawn across his chest in the Nepalese fashion. He is seated with his legs locked, his right hand making the fear-allaying gesture, the left one holding a branch topped with a ritual water pot (kundika).

Early 15th century, Central Tibet, Maitreya, gilt bronze with stone inlay, 21,6 cm, private collection, Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Works of Art lot 513, 20th March 2024, Christie’s

This one holds the stem of a large blossom topped with a kundika. The flowers associated with Maitreya are the nagakesara (a large four-petal flower from the naga tree – mesua ferrea in latin) and the champaka (a type of magnolia).

Undated (15th century?), Tibet, Jampa, (painted clay on a wooden armature?), photo by Dudul Dorjay, 2011, on virginia.edu, at the Gaden Lhakhang, Gyantse Kumbum stupa (Tibet).

Maitreya (Jampa in Tibetan) with his hands ‘turning the wheel of dharma‘.

13th century or later, Tibet, Ascetic Bodhisattva Maitreya, 24,7 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder, same publication as before, p. 1150 pl. 302B, Potala Collection, Bla ma lha khang inventory nº 453, Lhasa (Tibet).

Maitreya standing on a single lotus pedestal, his hair gathered in a bunch tied with a ribbon and adorned with a stupa instead of a crown.

14th century, Tibet, Maitreya, gilt copper, 75 cm, photo as before, p. 1033 pl. 256C, at the Bri gung mthil (Drigung Thil) monastery (Tibet).

It is unusual for him to hold the flower topped with a kundika in his right hand.

12th-13th century, Tibet, Maitreya or Shakyamuni, brass with partial gilding, 16 cm, photo as before, p. 1146 pl. 300A, at the Khra Brug (Tradruk) monastery, Yarlung Valley (Tibet).

Maitreya as the future buddha, seated with both legs pendent and his hands in the dharmacakra mudra.

Tibet, Manjushri – various forms (19)

 

14th century, Tibet, Manjushri, gilt copper, 93 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Volume Two, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 1030 pl. 255A, at the Ngor E wam Monastery (Tibet).

Manjushri with the Prajnaparamita sutra in his left hand (rather than on top of a flower), his right hand making the gesture of debate/argumentation.

14th century, Tibet, Manjushri, gilt copper, 73,5 cm, photo as before, p. 1033 pl. 256B, at the Bri gung mthil (Drigung Thil) monastery (Tibet).

After the 13th century he is often depicted with a flower to his right supporting the hilt of a sword (rather bent in this case) and a flower in his left hand supporting the book. If standing, he belongs to a group of eight bodhisattvas. 

Undated (15th century?), Tibet, Manjushri, (painted wood or clay ?), size not given, photo by Dudul Dorjay, 2011, on virginia.edu, at the Palkhor Chode monastic complex in Gyantse (Tibet).

Vadisimha Manjushri sit sideways on a snow lion with his left leg pendent, his hands making the turning the wheel of dharma gesture and holding the stem of flowers that support the hilt of a sword to his right and a book to his left.

15th-16th century, Tibet, Manjushri, gilt bronze with stone inlay, 21,9 cm, private collection, Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Works of Art lot 515, 20th March 2024, Christie’s

The bodhisattva of wisdom seated with his legs locked and flanked by a blue lily that supports the hilt of a sword and another flower that supports the book.

16th-17th century, Tibet, possibly Manjuvajra, bronze with stone inlay and cold gold, no size given, photo on wisdomlib, at the Patan Museum (Nepal).

This figure with three heads and six arms holds a vajra sceptre and a skull cup in his main hands, which differs slightly from the esoteric form of Manjushri known as Manjuvajra mentioned in the Manjushri Namasangiti Tantra, who holds a vajra sceptre in both of his main hands. If this is Manjuvajra, the broken implements in his remaining right hands would have been an arrow and a sword, the attributes missing from his remaining left hands would have been a blue lily and a bow.

Nepal, various bodhisattvas (2)

Circa 13th-14th century, Nepal or Tibet, bodhisattva, gilt copper repoussé part from a halo, 16 cm, private collection, Arts d’Asie lots 38 and 39, 12th June 2021, Cornette de Saint-Cyr on aaoarts.

15th-16th century, Nepal or Tibet, Seated Bodhisattva, gilt bronze, photo on Global Nepali Museum inventory nº TC-1 at the Tokyo National Museum (Japan).

17th century, Nepal, bodhisattva (labelled ‘Vajrapani with Candamaharoshana), gilt bronze with stone inlay, 19,5 cm, photo on wisdomlib, at the National Museum of Nepal in Kathmandu.

This male figure with a princely appearance holds the stem of a lotus with an upright vajra sceptre emerging from its centre (see close up on above link) and makes the fear-allaying gesture with the other. Peaceful Vajrapani normally has two eyes, the above has three, and when depicted in a standing posture he holds his attribute in one of his hands. This is perhaps a local variant? The yaksha attendant next to him is Achala/Chandamaharoshana wielding a sword in one hand and holding a noose in the other. We saw a 17th century standing bodhisattva with a yaksha attendant and a long-life vase between them on Sotheby’s

Reminder on two statues

The post below was published on 21st October 2022 in ‘A Corner about Stolen Sculptures’. See additional  information at the end. 

A year and a half later these two items have not been returned to their respective country and temple although the Art Gallery of New South Wales states below the details regarding each work (in the section ‘About’) that it is aware (since October and July 2022 respectively) these items may have been stolen. 

—- —- —-

For the sake of accuracy, the following statue, published in a previous post and presently at the Art Gallery of NSW in Sydney (Australia), was stolen from the Lang Gompa, Shey Phoksundo, Dolpo, Nepal.

Circa 13th century, Nepal, Padmapani (Avalokiteshvara), gilt copper inlaid with stones, lapis lazuli (powder), at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney (Australia).

The following work, also at the above-mentioned museum but without its original lotus pedestal (see here ), was stolen from the gTsug Lhakhang in Lhasa (Tibet).

14th-15th century, Tibet, Kalacakra, gilt copper, 30 cm, Jokhang/gTsug Lhakhang collection, Lhasa, inventory nº 16(A), photo taken in 1995 by Ulrich von Schroeder, published on Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet

Additional Information:

• The standing Avalokiteshvara was photographed in situ by Nik Douglas in 1971 at the Lang monastery, Dolpo, Nepal. The black and white picture was reproduced in Indo-Tibetan Bronzes by Ulrich von Schroeder, Visual Dharma Publications Ltd, Hong Kong, 1981, p. 167. 

 

•  The Kalachakra statue was photographed by Ulrich von Schroeder in 1995 and published online on Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet , with details clearly stating its inventory number in the Jokhang/gTsug Lhakhang collection in Lhasa.

Tibet, famous lamas (40)

Undated (15th century?), Tibet, (painted clay or wood?), Khenchen Jangchug Pelzango, Sakya Sribhadra, Jamyang Rinchen Gyaltsen, with recently replaced hands, photo by Dudul Dorjay, 2011 on virginia.edu, in the shrine dedicated to the masters of the Second Diffusion of Buddhism in Tibet, at the Pelkhor Chode monastic complex in Gyantse (Tibet).

From left to right, (Zulpu) Khenchen Jangchub Pelzangpo, a 14th century Tibetan master, Sakya Shribhadra, a 12th century Kashmiri scholar (see both on Treasury of Lives ) whose left hand originally displayed the gesture of debate (vitarka mudra), Jamyang Rinchen Gyaltsen, a 13th century Sakya master (see on wikipedia).

Undated (15th century?), Tibet, Choki Rinchen, Gyalse Thokme, Gangchen Khepe Wangpo Kungapel, (painted clay or wood?), photo by Dudul Dorjay, 2011 on virginia.edu, Sempa Shrine in the Gyantse Kumbum Stupa, at the Pelkhor Chode monastic complex in Gyantse (Tibet).

Circa 16th-17th century, Tibet, Dpal ldan tshul khrims (Palden Tsultrim), brass, 16,8 cm, object nº AK-MAK-1510 at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam (The Netherlands).

18th century, Tibet, Dpal ldan tshul khrims (Palden Sultrim), bronze, 19 cm, object nº AK-MAK-307 at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam (The Netherlands).

We saw a group of six Sakya Lamdre lineage masters including this lama on Bonhams . These two sculptures depict him with his right hand in the gesture of debate and the left hand in meditation, with a vase of longevity in the second case (possibly missing from the first one).

16th century, Tibet, probably Rin chen phun tshogs, gilt copper with cold gold and pigment, 27,5 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Volume Two, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 1075 pl. 277C, at the Gser khang lha khang, Bri gung mthil (Drigung Thil) monastery (Tibet).

Rinchen Phuntsog was an important Drikung/Drigung teacher who lived during the 16th century (see drikung.org). He was a layman, hence the long-sleeve outer garment tied with a belt (note the elegant knot).

18th century, Tibet, sMin gling gter chen ‘Gyur med rdo rje (Minling Terchen Gyurme Dorje), gilt copper, 10 cm, photo as before, p. 1082 pl. 281A, at the sMin grol gling (Mindroling) monastery (Tibet).

The author explains that according to an inscription at the back of the base, the founder of the Mindroling monastery is shown here at the age of 67. He holds a  long-life vase in his left hand.

Tibet, snow lions (8)

Circa 17th century, Tibet, snow lion, gilt wood with traces of polychromy, 11 cm high, Arts d’Asie lot 99, 12th June 2021, Cornette de Saint-Cyr on aaoarts

Circa 17th-18th century, Tibet, snow lion plaques, gilt copper alloy, 25,5 cm, private collection, Cornette as before, lots 130 and 131.

Circa 18th century, Tibet, snow lion, gilt copper alloy, 8 cm, private collection, as before, lot 134.

Circa 18th-19th century, Tibet, snow lion, polychrome wood, 7,5 cm, private collection, Cornette as before, lots 135 and 136.

Nepal, Avalokiteshvara (15)

Circa 900 AD, Nepal, Avalokiteshvara, gilt bronze, 62,9 cm,
accession nº 1962.445 at the Cincinnati Art Museum (USA).

This handsome figure wears an impressive crown with an effigy of Amitabha at the front and a small red stone below. Compare with a 10th century Nepalese Avalokiteshvara seen on Bonhams.

15th century (or later?), Nepal, Avalokiteshvara, copper alloy with silver-inlaid eyes and pigments, 32,8 cm, Accession nº AS16-1975 at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne (Australia).

A Pala revival of Avalokiteshvara in his khasarpana form, seated with the right leg pendent and the right hand in the boon-granting gesture, his left hand clutching the stem of a lotus flower that blossoms over his shoulder. His pile of matted locks is topped with a jewel finial that matches his discreet tiara.

18th century, Nepal, Avalokiteshvara, wood, 89 cm, private collection, photo on Lost Arts of Nepal

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).