A COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF BUDDHA WITH ITS LACQUERED WOOD PEDESTAL AND AUREOLE, KANDYAN PERIOD, 18TH CENTURY
A COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF BUDDHA WITH ITS LACQUERED WOOD PEDESTAL AND AUREOLE, KANDYAN PERIOD, 18TH CENTURY
Sri Lanka. The broad-shouldered figure standing in samapada on an integral base, his right hand raised in vitarka mudra and the left lowered to grasp the hem of his elaborately pleated sanghati, finely incised with undulating folds and draped with a sash over the left shoulder. The rounded face is sensitively modeled with crisply delineated features, downcast lidded eyes, an aquiline nose, and pursed lips, flanked by long pendulous earlobes and surmounted by a five-fold siraspata. The bronze with a rich and subtly varied patina, particularly pronounced between the smooth and raised areas of the robe, and with traces of old red pigment.Expert’s note: Remarkably, the figure retains its original lacquered wood pedestal and large arched aureole, survivals rarely encountered with Kandyan bronzes of this period. The wood has aged considerably, displaying natural age cracks, erosion, and extensive fragmentary remains of polychromy in several colors. This weathered wooden setting forms a striking contrast with the exceptionally well-preserved bronze image.There is an almost poetic quality to this juxtaposition: the serene Buddha appears virtually untouched by time, while the pedestal and aureole surrounding him bear the unmistakable marks of transience. Created during the Kandyan period (1592–1815), the last great era of independent royal rule in Sri Lanka, this enduring image of Buddha may be seen to embody the divine, Nirvana, and eternity, while the weathered pedestal and aureole represent the transient worldly realm, inevitably subject to decay.Provenance: French trade. By repute acquired from a private collection in France. Condition: Very good condition with old wear and casting irregularities. Small nicks, remnants of pigment, and expected surface corrosion. The wood stand with extensive wear, flaking and rubbing to lacquer, small chips, and signs of weathering and erosion.Weight: 896.4 gDimensions: Height 24.2 cm (overall)After a period of decline lasting a few centuries, Buddhism was revived throughout the Kandyan kingdom in the second half of the eighteenth century under the King Kirti Sri Rajasinha (r. 1747-1782), who encouraged Buddhist monks from Burma and Thailand to emigrate to Sri Lanka, and heavily patronized the Buddhist institutions within his kingdoms.This sculpture is solid cast, a technique characteristic of Sri Lankan Buddhist bronzes from the late Anuradhapura period onward and prescribed in the Sariputra, a traditional canon governing the proportions and manufacture of Buddha images. The remarkable stylistic consistency of these sculptures was further aided by the use of matrices for individual body parts in preparing the wax models. Kandyan images nevertheless display considerable variation in the treatment of the robe, particularly in the rhythm and depth of the undulating folds and in the hem of the sanghati draped across the left shoulder. Another characteristic feature of Sri Lankan Buddha images is the highly distinctive flame-like siraspata crowning the head.The folds of the robe are draped asymmetrically across his body, emulating the Anuradhapura style and indicating the soft, delicate cotton garment worn in a tropical climate. The gentle drapes of cloth suggest the sheer texture of the fabric beneath the right chest. In the 18th century Kandy, the continuous pleats of the earlier visual culture evolved into a symphony of rippling intensity that enlivens the otherwise static Buddha figure. His right hand, raised in the gesture of teaching, bears an etched lotus, which is an element unique to the Kandyan period.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely relatedAuction: Bonhams New York, 14 March
A COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF BUDDHA WITH ITS LACQUERED WOOD PEDESTAL AND AUREOLE, KANDYAN PERIOD, 18TH CENTURY
Sri Lanka. The broad-shouldered figure standing in samapada on an integral base, his right hand raised in vitarka mudra and the left lowered to grasp the hem of his elaborately pleated sanghati, finely incised with undulating folds and draped with a sash over the left shoulder. The rounded face is sensitively modeled with crisply delineated features, downcast lidded eyes, an aquiline nose, and pursed lips, flanked by long pendulous earlobes and surmounted by a five-fold siraspata. The bronze with a rich and subtly varied patina, particularly pronounced between the smooth and raised areas of the robe, and with traces of old red pigment.Expert’s note: Remarkably, the figure retains its original lacquered wood pedestal and large arched aureole, survivals rarely encountered with Kandyan bronzes of this period. The wood has aged considerably, displaying natural age cracks, erosion, and extensive fragmentary remains of polychromy in several colors. This weathered wooden setting forms a striking contrast with the exceptionally well-preserved bronze image.There is an almost poetic quality to this juxtaposition: the serene Buddha appears virtually untouched by time, while the pedestal and aureole surrounding him bear the unmistakable marks of transience. Created during the Kandyan period (1592–1815), the last great era of independent royal rule in Sri Lanka, this enduring image of Buddha may be seen to embody the divine, Nirvana, and eternity, while the weathered pedestal and aureole represent the transient worldly realm, inevitably subject to decay.Provenance: French trade. By repute acquired from a private collection in France. Condition: Very good condition with old wear and casting irregularities. Small nicks, remnants of pigment, and expected surface corrosion. The wood stand with extensive wear, flaking and rubbing to lacquer, small chips, and signs of weathering and erosion.Weight: 896.4 gDimensions: Height 24.2 cm (overall)After a period of decline lasting a few centuries, Buddhism was revived throughout the Kandyan kingdom in the second half of the eighteenth century under the King Kirti Sri Rajasinha (r. 1747-1782), who encouraged Buddhist monks from Burma and Thailand to emigrate to Sri Lanka, and heavily patronized the Buddhist institutions within his kingdoms.This sculpture is solid cast, a technique characteristic of Sri Lankan Buddhist bronzes from the late Anuradhapura period onward and prescribed in the Sariputra, a traditional canon governing the proportions and manufacture of Buddha images. The remarkable stylistic consistency of these sculptures was further aided by the use of matrices for individual body parts in preparing the wax models. Kandyan images nevertheless display considerable variation in the treatment of the robe, particularly in the rhythm and depth of the undulating folds and in the hem of the sanghati draped across the left shoulder. Another characteristic feature of Sri Lankan Buddha images is the highly distinctive flame-like siraspata crowning the head.The folds of the robe are draped asymmetrically across his body, emulating the Anuradhapura style and indicating the soft, delicate cotton garment worn in a tropical climate. The gentle drapes of cloth suggest the sheer texture of the fabric beneath the right chest. In the 18th century Kandy, the continuous pleats of the earlier visual culture evolved into a symphony of rippling intensity that enlivens the otherwise static Buddha figure. His right hand, raised in the gesture of teaching, bears an etched lotus, which is an element unique to the Kandyan period.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely relatedAuction: Bonhams New York, 14 March
