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.

Gilgit, seated figures (4)

First half of 7th century as per inscription, Gilgit, (Shakyamuni), bronze, photo from an article by Haiyan Hu-von Hinüber on Seechac, at the Palace Museum in Beijing (China).

On most brass sculptures from the Patola/Palola Shahi Kingdom the lions supporting a buddha’s throne lie sideways so that you can see their whole body; these have their head turned towards the viewer, on the next image they are looking at each other. The plinth includes a female donor Kneeling next to a water pot.

First half of 7th century, Gilgit, (Shakyamuni), bronze, no size given, same as before, at the Palace Museum in Beijing (China).

We saw a very similar image of Shakyamuni from Kashmir on Christie’s, with a plain nimbus that is rather unusual for the area but with the lions placed differently under the throne.

Pala India, Manjushri – seated (6)

Circa 11th century, Northeastern India, Manjushri, brass with silver and copper inlay, private collection, Images of Devotion lot 1853, 1st December 2023, Bonhams (Hong Kong).

Seated in the royal ease position, the bodhisattva of wisdom is flanked by blue water lilies – one of them supporting the Prajnaparamita sutra. His knee-length dhoti is decorated with a stippled floral pattern and a row of silver and copper roundels typical of the place and period. The sash tightly drawn across his chest, the stem of the flowers, and his armbands also have a stippled decoration.

11th-12th century, Northeastern India, Manjushri, stone, 46,4 cm, private collection, Arts of India lot 574, 27th September 2023, Christie’s

There are two forms of Manjushri seated on a snow lion, in the vajra position or with a leg pendent, and making the ‘turning the wheel of dharma‘ gesture. Simhanada Manjughosa may have a flower to his left but no book on it. He usually has an effigy of Akshobhya in his crown. Vadisimha holds the stem of a blue water lily wound around his left arm with the flower level with his shoulder and topped with the Prajnaparamita sutra.

Gilgit, Buddha Shakyamuni (6)

8th century, Kashmir (or Kashmiri artist in Gilgit), Shakyamuni, brass with silver and copper inlay, 12,7 cm, private collection, Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art lot 123, 12th June 2023, Bonhams (Paris)

The historical buddha sits on a cushion with a silver and copper-inlaid motif atop a rocky formation partly inlaid with copper, like the rocky formation supporting a Gilgit buddha seen in an article by Yannick Laurent, as observed by Jing Wen on the above link. Another singular feature visible on both figures is the piece of garment neatly placed over the buddha’s left knee. A small lion appears under the seat.

Gilgit, Avalokiteshvara

700-750 AD, Gilgit?, Three-headed and six-armed form of Avalokiteshvara, brass with copper and silver inlay (and niello?), 36 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Volume One, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 187 pl. 55C Potala Collection, Lima Lhakhang inventory nº 1095, Lhasa (Tibet).

There are various three-head and six-arm forms of Avalokiteshvara but we haven’t seen any with this specific combination of attributes so far. He has a rosary in his upper right hand, a lasso, a lotus, a water pot in the left ones. As suggested by the author, the middle right hand may have held a fly whisk. The lower one makes the gesture of supreme generosity. There is an effigy of Amitabha at the centre of his main crown (and a turquoise cabochon below) but no antelope skin over his shoulder. Both his lasso and his sacred cord are made of a snake, and there are another two snakes on the rocky formation that supports his lotus pedestal, along with a lion, two lizards, and two deer (on top of the plinth). The black lacquer-like substance mentioned in the book is almost certainly niello, which we have only seen on works from Gilgit and usually combined with copper and silver inlay. We saw a particularly striking seated Maitreya from Gilgit with the same metal combination and the same floral pattern on his dhoti (labelled ‘Western Tibet’ on HAR ).

Tibet, Jnanatapa

14th century, Tibet, Jnanatapa, gilt copper alloy with silver inlay, 15,5 cm, The Claude de Marteau Collection Part III, lot 11, photo and details by Jing Wen on Bonhams (Paris).

This is the first sculpture of Jnanatapa that we come across, and the only one known according to Bonhams. The Indian adept holds a box topped with a lion in his left hand and holds a pill in the other (as can be seen thanks to the close-up application on HAR website – which gives a later date for it). Compare with a painting at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (details about which can be found on asianart.com ).

Gilgit, Buddha Shakyamuni (3)

661/662 AD (?), Patola Sahi Kingdom of the Gilgit Valley (?), Buddha Shakyamuni in the act of preaching, brass, 22,4 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder (Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Volume One, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 47, pl. 9B), Potala Collection, Lima Lhakhang, inventory nº 229, Lhasa (Tibet).

We saw a similar (7th century, Gilgit) statue of the historical buddha, seated on a silver and copper inlaid cushion atop a two-tier throne. The above sits on a Swat-Valley style lotus throne supported by two recumbent snow lions (and what the author describes as a wish-granting gem in the middle), and there is a third and unexpected lion emerging from a cave at the centre of the stepped plinth. The inscription gives the name of the donor and that of an unknown king.

Kashmir, seated buddhas (12)

6th-7th century, Kashmir, Karkota Dynasty, Buddha Shakyamuni, brass, 17 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder (Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Volume One, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 88, pl. 12A), Potala Collection, Lima Lhakhang, inventory nº 209, Lhasa (Tibet).

Shakyamuni, seated on a cushion atop a throne supported by two snow lions and a yaksha, makes the fear-allaying gesture with his right hand and holds the hem of his garment in the other, placed above his knee. The transparent robe covers his left arm only.

7th century, Kashmir, Karkota Dynasty, Buddha Shakyamuni, brass, 17,5 cm, photo as before (p. 89, pl. 12C), Potala Collection, Sa gsum Lhakhang, inventory nº 1470, Lhasa (Tibet).

With the right hand extended in the gesture of supreme generosity, his fingers clearly webbed, the left arm folded towards him, wearing a thicker garment with concentric folds.

8th century, Jammu and Kashmir, India, or (Azad) Kashmir, Pakistan, Buddha seated in meditation, ivory, 5,1 cm, inventory nº 1994-148-359 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (USA).

We saw a seated ivory buddha with remains of polychromy at the Cleveland Museum of Art, the above wears a robe that covers both arms and holds his hands in the gesture of meditation. Such fragments were once part of a personal shrine along with other scenes from the life of the Buddha.

Swat Valley, buddha on lion throne (4)

7th-8th century, Greater Swat Region, Buddha Shakyamuni, brass, 15,2 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder (Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Volume One, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 48 pl. 10A), Potala Collection, Lima Lhakhang, inventory nº 692, Lhasa (Tibet),

A singular sculpture of the historical buddha with a rather disproportionate head and clearly webbed fingers, seated on a cushion with large tassels at each corner, atop a lion throne supported by a single lotus on a small plinth. The major differences with nearby Kashmir is that the throne is covered with a cloth with tassels along the hem – therefore there is no yaksha or lotus between the lions – and the head of the lions (or any other animal supporting the throne of a buddha) comes out of the seat rather than fitting below.

7th-8th century, Greater Swat Region, Buddha Shakyamuni, brass, 17,2 cm, photo as before (p. 51 pl. 11B), Potala Collection, Lima Lhakhang, inventory nº 1198, Lhasa (Tibet).

The garment on this figure covers the left arm only, and the tasseled cloth on the throne is trapezoidal.

7th-8th century, Greater Swat Region, Buddha Shakyamuni, brass, 18,2 cm, photo as before (p. 51 pl. 11D), Potala Collection, Lima Lhakhang, inventory nº 1108, Lhasa (Tibet).

A variant with the lions seated sideways, back to back, and a plain trapezoidal cloth that occupies all the space between them.

7th-8th century, Greater Swat Region, Buddha Shakyamuni, brass, 14,1 cm, photo as before (p. 51 pl. 11E), Potala Collection, Lima Lhakhang, inventory nº 931, Lhasa (Tibet).

Tibet, Manjushri – various forms (17)

15th century, Tibet, Manjushri, gilt copper alloy with silver (and turquoise) inlay, 12,7 cm, private collection, photo on  Sotheby’s.

One of the forms of Manjushri described in the namasangiti tantra. He has one head and four arms, and sits with his legs crossed, holding a sword in his upper right hand, a lily topped with a book in the other, a bow and an arrow in the remaining pair of hands.

Unlabelled (15th century?, Tibet, Manjushri, painted clay), photo on Active Planet Travels , at the Kumbum in Gyantse (Tibet).

Vadisimha Manjushri, seated on a roaring snow lion with the left leg pendent, his hands making the dharmacakra mudra and holding the stem of blue flowers that support the hilt of a sword (to his right) and a book (to his left). He wears a crown, princely jewellery, a celestial scarf.

Unlabelled (15th century?, Tibet, Manjushri, painted clay), photo on HAR , at the Kumbum in Gyantse (Tibet).

A similar image, from the same complex.

Unlabelled (15th century?, Tibet, Manjushri, painted clay), photo on Active Planet Travels , at the Kumbum in Gyantse (Tibet).

A variant, seated with the right leg pendent, leaning on the base with his left hand while holding the stem of a flower that supports the hilt of a sword, his right hand held palm out in the gesture of supreme generosity. He has a third eye, a mass of matted hair topped with a flaming jewel, a low tiara, no jewellery.

14th century, Tibet, Manjushri, gilt copper alloy with stones, 12,5 cm, The Claude de Marteau Collection part II, lot 8, 4th October 2022, Bonhams (Paris).

After the 13th century, most Tibetan portable sculptures of White Manjushri (with a white body on paintings) depict him seated with his legs locked, his hands making the ‘turning the wheel of dharma‘ gesture, holding the stem of flowers that support his attributes: the hilt of a sword to his right, the Prajnaparamita sutra to his left.

14th-15th century, Tibet, labelled ‘bodhisattva, possibly Manjushri’, copper alloy, 23,8 cm, private collection, Asian Art lot 127, 2nd November 2011, Koller.

Although he the blue lily topped with a book is broken and he only has the stem in his left hand, the hilt of a sword (to cut through ignorance) protruding from the flower in his right hand identifies this figure as Manjusrhi, the bodhisattva of wisdom.

16th century, Tibet, Manjushri, gilt bronze with stones, 16 cm, private collection, auction 2455 lot 419, 10th May 2000, Christie’s (Amsterdam).

16th century, Tibet, Manjushri, gilt copper alloy, 10,5 cm, The Claude de Marteau Collection part I, lot 51, 14th June 2022, Bonhams (Paris).

17th century, Tibet, Manjushri, gilt bronze, 17 cm, Asian Art lot 3106, 2nd December 2021, Polyauction (Hong Kong).

17th-18th century, Tibet, Manjushri (labelled ‘bodhisattva’), gilt bronze with turquoise, coral, lapis lazuli, 8,8 cm, private collection, Asian Art lot 114, 28th October 2004, Christie’s (London).