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Auction archive: Lot number 20

STATUETTE D'AKSHOBHYAVAJRA...

Estimate
€0
Price realised:
n. a.
Auction archive: Lot number 20

STATUETTE D'AKSHOBHYAVAJRA...

Estimate
€0
Price realised:
n. a.
Beschreibung:

STATUETTE D'AKSHOBHYAVAJRA GUHYASAMAJA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉ TIBET CENTRAL, XVE SIÈCLE Himalayan Art Resources item no. 4611 51.5 cm (20 1/4 in.) high Footnotes: A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF AKSHOBHYAVAJRA GUHYASAMAJA CENTRAL TIBET, 15TH CENTURY 藏中 十五世紀 銅鎏金密集不動金剛像 Provenance With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s 'The anuttara yoga tantras are The highest teachings given by the Buddha. From amongst these the most profound is That of glorious Guhyasamaja, the king of all tantras. Understanding the sublime path of Guhyasamaja Bestows fearless, confident understanding Of all the teachings of the Buddha.' - Je Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), Founder of the Gelug School of Tibetan Buddhism   Representing the crown of the de Marteau Collection, this large, complex sculpture depicts Akshobhyavajra Guhyasamaja, a subject central to Tibetan Buddhism's promise of a swift and complete enlightenment. Two sublime beings—male and female—merge into one another in an ecstatic sexual embrace symbolizing the transcendent state of Buddhahood that one achieves through the completion of tantric instruction. Measuring 51.5 cm tall, this gilded bronze is among the grandest sculptural commissions of Guhyasamaja—or any composite yab yum ('mother-father') deity—from Tibet ever to appear on the market. Representing a subject deeply connected with the religious instruction of Tibet's most famous historic person, Je Tsongkhapa (1357-1419; fig. 1), this sculpture is also produced in a style synonymous with the Tibetan Renaissance he inspired. The 'Ganden Renaissance,' which bore this sculptural tour de force, has been described as a 'quantum explosion' of spiritual attainment, philosophical and literary accomplishment, and artistic creativity.1 The post-enlightenment mission of the founder of the Gelug order, Tsongkhapa, to renew and reinvigorate Tibetan Buddhism galvanized an astonishing surge in religious and artistic activity in the 15th century. Support came through cooperation and competition among the various schools of Tibetan Buddhism as well as through patronage from Tibetan kings and Chinese emperors alike. Many of Central Tibet's most important monasteries (fig. 2) were founded during this period, with innovative feats of Buddhist painting and sculpture installed within them, such as Ganden (1410), the Gyantse Pelchor Chode (1418; fig. 3), Ngor (1429), and Tashi Lhunpo (1447). Far from limited to Central Tibet, the Ganden Renaissance extended much further into East and West Tibet. The assembling of artists from all over the Himalayas to create evermore magnificent commissions resulted in the successful integration of important influences from neighboring artistic traditions, and Tibetan art reaching its full maturity.2 Thanks to the rich information provided by a stylistically related masterpiece previously sold by Bonhams (fig. 4a; Bonhams, New York, 19 March 2018, lot 3033), this impressive Guhyasamaja can be confidently dated and attributed to 15th-century Central Tibet. The other gilt bronze, dubbed the 'Jamchen Avalokiteshvara' after the monastery it was created for, depicts the supreme, cosmic form of Boddhisatva Avalokiteshvara (Avalokiteshvara Sahasrabhuja Ekadasamukha), and features an inscription recording the master artist, royal patrons, monastery, and the overseeing Sakya hierarch involved in its production. By triangulating their biographies and historical records about Jamchen monastery, Watt was able to pinpoint the sculpture's creation in the Shigatse region of Central Tibet, c. 1425-30.3 Watt's reading of the inscription constituted a significant discovery for Tibetan art history; the sculpture revealed the name of a 'Tibetan Michelangelo', called Sonam Gyaltsen, whose superlative work could now be recognized among sculptures held in private and museum collections long-lauded as embodying the height of Tibetan sculptural achievement. However, in the wake of this recent discovery, little else is known about Sonam Gyaltsen and h

Auction archive: Lot number 20
Auction:
Datum:
4 Oct 2022
Auction house:
Bonhams - Cornette de Saint Cyr
4, rue de la Paix 75002 Paris
Beschreibung:

STATUETTE D'AKSHOBHYAVAJRA GUHYASAMAJA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉ TIBET CENTRAL, XVE SIÈCLE Himalayan Art Resources item no. 4611 51.5 cm (20 1/4 in.) high Footnotes: A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF AKSHOBHYAVAJRA GUHYASAMAJA CENTRAL TIBET, 15TH CENTURY 藏中 十五世紀 銅鎏金密集不動金剛像 Provenance With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s 'The anuttara yoga tantras are The highest teachings given by the Buddha. From amongst these the most profound is That of glorious Guhyasamaja, the king of all tantras. Understanding the sublime path of Guhyasamaja Bestows fearless, confident understanding Of all the teachings of the Buddha.' - Je Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), Founder of the Gelug School of Tibetan Buddhism   Representing the crown of the de Marteau Collection, this large, complex sculpture depicts Akshobhyavajra Guhyasamaja, a subject central to Tibetan Buddhism's promise of a swift and complete enlightenment. Two sublime beings—male and female—merge into one another in an ecstatic sexual embrace symbolizing the transcendent state of Buddhahood that one achieves through the completion of tantric instruction. Measuring 51.5 cm tall, this gilded bronze is among the grandest sculptural commissions of Guhyasamaja—or any composite yab yum ('mother-father') deity—from Tibet ever to appear on the market. Representing a subject deeply connected with the religious instruction of Tibet's most famous historic person, Je Tsongkhapa (1357-1419; fig. 1), this sculpture is also produced in a style synonymous with the Tibetan Renaissance he inspired. The 'Ganden Renaissance,' which bore this sculptural tour de force, has been described as a 'quantum explosion' of spiritual attainment, philosophical and literary accomplishment, and artistic creativity.1 The post-enlightenment mission of the founder of the Gelug order, Tsongkhapa, to renew and reinvigorate Tibetan Buddhism galvanized an astonishing surge in religious and artistic activity in the 15th century. Support came through cooperation and competition among the various schools of Tibetan Buddhism as well as through patronage from Tibetan kings and Chinese emperors alike. Many of Central Tibet's most important monasteries (fig. 2) were founded during this period, with innovative feats of Buddhist painting and sculpture installed within them, such as Ganden (1410), the Gyantse Pelchor Chode (1418; fig. 3), Ngor (1429), and Tashi Lhunpo (1447). Far from limited to Central Tibet, the Ganden Renaissance extended much further into East and West Tibet. The assembling of artists from all over the Himalayas to create evermore magnificent commissions resulted in the successful integration of important influences from neighboring artistic traditions, and Tibetan art reaching its full maturity.2 Thanks to the rich information provided by a stylistically related masterpiece previously sold by Bonhams (fig. 4a; Bonhams, New York, 19 March 2018, lot 3033), this impressive Guhyasamaja can be confidently dated and attributed to 15th-century Central Tibet. The other gilt bronze, dubbed the 'Jamchen Avalokiteshvara' after the monastery it was created for, depicts the supreme, cosmic form of Boddhisatva Avalokiteshvara (Avalokiteshvara Sahasrabhuja Ekadasamukha), and features an inscription recording the master artist, royal patrons, monastery, and the overseeing Sakya hierarch involved in its production. By triangulating their biographies and historical records about Jamchen monastery, Watt was able to pinpoint the sculpture's creation in the Shigatse region of Central Tibet, c. 1425-30.3 Watt's reading of the inscription constituted a significant discovery for Tibetan art history; the sculpture revealed the name of a 'Tibetan Michelangelo', called Sonam Gyaltsen, whose superlative work could now be recognized among sculptures held in private and museum collections long-lauded as embodying the height of Tibetan sculptural achievement. However, in the wake of this recent discovery, little else is known about Sonam Gyaltsen and h

Auction archive: Lot number 20
Auction:
Datum:
4 Oct 2022
Auction house:
Bonhams - Cornette de Saint Cyr
4, rue de la Paix 75002 Paris
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