A RARE AND IMPORTANT SANDSTONE FIGURE OF BUDDHA MUCHALINDA, ANGKOR BOREI STYLE, PRE-ANGKOR PERIOD
A RARE AND IMPORTANT SANDSTONE FIGURE OF BUDDHA MUCHALINDA, ANGKOR BOREI STYLE, PRE-ANGKOR PERIOD, 7TH CENTURY
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve
The Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger, entry from 2005:
“No. 185, LA 1972, A. Maynard, Pre-Angkor 7th c. Angkor Borei Buddha Muchalinda”
Gallery price: EUR 85,000 or approx.
EUR 142,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing.
The ledger establishes that this object was located in Europe before the UNESCO 1970 Convention entered into force.
Expert's note:
Pre-Angkorian sandstone representations of the Buddha Muchalinda are exceptionally rare, and the present sculpture is distinguished by its powerful carving, pronounced three-dimensionality, and remarkable state of preservation. Although Buddhist sculpture of the pre-Angkor period often shares stylistic affinities with contemporaneous Dvaravati art, the slightly elongated proportions of this figure signal a subtle departure from those conventions, lending the Buddha an elegant sense of buoyancy and spiritual elevation. Compare two Dvaravati sandstone reliefs of Buddha Muchalinda in the National Museum, Bangkok, one illustrated in John Guy, Lost Kingdoms: Hindu-Buddhist Sculpture of Early Southeast Asia, p. 200-201, no. 111.
Skillfully carved, depicted seated in dhyanasana upon the coiled body of the serpent Muchalinda, his hands resting in his lap in dhyana mudra. The stylized torso, devoid of ornament or drapery, extending into a well-defined head, with the face bearing a meditative expression, characterized by downcast eyes, a broad nose, and full lips forming a subtle smile, all flanked by long, pendulous earlobes, and surmounted by a neatly arranged coiffeur in orderly, large curls that cover an almost imperceptible ushnisha. The figure sheltered by the seven-headed hood of the naga, each head carved with a grotesque visage, with partially open mouth revealing sharp fangs.
Provenance: Adrian Maynard, London, by 1972. Collection of Leo Albrecht, Denmark, acquired from the above. Jorgen Ruben, acquired from the above before 2005. In the Jorgen Ruben Collection for at least 21 years.
Adrian Maynard joined Spink & Sons in 1947, where he was appointed Director from 1962 and eventually Deputy Chairman until his retirement in 1984. He was a man of enormous drive and undoubtedly the most flamboyant character to take charge of the Asian art department, which he took to the height of its success. Maynard believed firmly that "a dealer, whose fortune and good name depends on knowing what to buy, has a much greater responsibility to be right about the objects that come into his hands than, say, an academic, who never handles large sums of money.”
Leo Albrecht was a German-born publisher and literary agent who established himself in Copenhagen after the Second World War. In 1951 he founded his agency, which played an important role in expanding the international market for Scandinavian literature. He began collecting art in the late 1950s, with a particular focus on Asian sculpture. In Copenhagen, he spent much of his time visiting antique dealers, museums, and exhibitions. He developed especially close ties with Ole Haslund, Lau Sunde, and Freddy Hansen, among the most prominent dealers in their fields. He also traveled frequently to London, where he became close friends with Adrian Maynard. Jorgen Ruben first met Albrecht in 1984, and they quickly became close friends. Ruben later described him as a gentleman and “the greatest collector of Asian art in Denmark.” He acquired Albrecht's entire Asian sculpture collection when Albrecht moved back to Germany after selling his publishing company. The two remained close, with Albrecht continuing to visit Denmark each summer and staying at the Ruben family's beach house north of Copenhagen.
Jorgen Ruben is a Danish art dealer and collector who has been active for over four decades and is highly regarded in the fields of Asian art and classical antiquities. Raised in an art-conscious family, Ruben was exposed early to both modern painting and European decorative arts. He began working in the art trade in the mid-1970s, first with Persian rugs and later with antiques, while travels to Iran and a visit to Persepolis sparked his lasting interest in antiquity. After studies in Copenhagen and London, he worked in England with a dealer in early furniture, before travelling widely in Latin America and Asia, deepening his knowledge of regional art and culture. In 1984 Ruben opened a gallery in Copenhagen dealing in Asian antiquities. He was later active in London and, in the early 2000s, operated the Brussels gallery Classic Art. Much of his career, however, has been conducted privately from home, selling by appointment to collectors, galleries, and museums. Ruben has always bought selectively, choosing only works that deeply engaged him, and often keeping them for many years until placing them with a collector he felt truly understood them.
Important Note: For essential information on the
Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger
Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Expected wear, minor losses, signs of weathering and erosion, old repairs and few minor fills, structural fissures, old smoothed chips, nicks, scratches.
Weight: 103.5 kg (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 90.5 cm (excl. stand), 100.8 cm (incl. stand)
With an associated modern stand. (2)
Angkor Borei was an important early center of Buddhism and Buddhist temple construction before the establishment of the Khmer Empire. The present figure is characteristic of Angkor Borei sculpture, as seen in the subtle protuberance of the ushnisha and the large snail-shell curls. Sculpture from this early period draws influence from Brahmanic sources combined with indigenous local traditions, forming a synthesis of unusual and extraordinary beauty exhibiting the naturalism and grace that echoes the treatment of the body in Gupta-period India, where ornamentation is minimized to emphasize the smooth volume of the form.
Literature comparison:
Compare a related sandstone figure of Buddha, Pre-Angkor period, Angkor Borei style, exhibited by the Museum Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt, Buddha 108 Encounters, 26 February-7 June 2015. Compare a related sandstone figure of Buddha, pre-Angkor period, Phnom Da style, dated 6th century, 90.5 cm high, in the National Museum of Cambodia, inventory number Ka.1591.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's Amsterdam, 21 November 2001, lot 214
Price: EUR 32,900 or approx.
EUR 56,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare pre-Khmer, probably Angkor Borei style, sandstone figure of Buddhamuchalinda, circa 7th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of carving, stone, and subject. Note the
much smaller size (53 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie's Paris, 14 December 2016, lot 24
Price: EUR 242,500 or approx.
EUR 320,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An important sandstone figure of Buddha Muchalinda, Cambodia, Khmer, Bayon period, late 12th-early 13th century
Expert remark: Compare the related modeling of the figure, with analogous treatment of the hair, manner of carving, and stone. Note the larger size (147 cm) and later date.
Buyer's Premium
30%
A RARE AND IMPORTANT SANDSTONE FIGURE OF BUDDHA MUCHALINDA, ANGKOR BOREI STYLE, PRE-ANGKOR PERIOD, 7TH CENTURY
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve
The Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger, entry from 2005:
“No. 185, LA 1972, A. Maynard, Pre-Angkor 7th c. Angkor Borei Buddha Muchalinda”
Gallery price: EUR 85,000 or approx.
EUR 142,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing.
The ledger establishes that this object was located in Europe before the UNESCO 1970 Convention entered into force.
Expert's note:
Pre-Angkorian sandstone representations of the Buddha Muchalinda are exceptionally rare, and the present sculpture is distinguished by its powerful carving, pronounced three-dimensionality, and remarkable state of preservation. Although Buddhist sculpture of the pre-Angkor period often shares stylistic affinities with contemporaneous Dvaravati art, the slightly elongated proportions of this figure signal a subtle departure from those conventions, lending the Buddha an elegant sense of buoyancy and spiritual elevation. Compare two Dvaravati sandstone reliefs of Buddha Muchalinda in the National Museum, Bangkok, one illustrated in John Guy, Lost Kingdoms: Hindu-Buddhist Sculpture of Early Southeast Asia, p. 200-201, no. 111.
Skillfully carved, depicted seated in dhyanasana upon the coiled body of the serpent Muchalinda, his hands resting in his lap in dhyana mudra. The stylized torso, devoid of ornament or drapery, extending into a well-defined head, with the face bearing a meditative expression, characterized by downcast eyes, a broad nose, and full lips forming a subtle smile, all flanked by long, pendulous earlobes, and surmounted by a neatly arranged coiffeur in orderly, large curls that cover an almost imperceptible ushnisha. The figure sheltered by the seven-headed hood of the naga, each head carved with a grotesque visage, with partially open mouth revealing sharp fangs.
Provenance: Adrian Maynard, London, by 1972. Collection of Leo Albrecht, Denmark, acquired from the above. Jorgen Ruben, acquired from the above before 2005. In the Jorgen Ruben Collection for at least 21 years.
Adrian Maynard joined Spink & Sons in 1947, where he was appointed Director from 1962 and eventually Deputy Chairman until his retirement in 1984. He was a man of enormous drive and undoubtedly the most flamboyant character to take charge of the Asian art department, which he took to the height of its success. Maynard believed firmly that "a dealer, whose fortune and good name depends on knowing what to buy, has a much greater responsibility to be right about the objects that come into his hands than, say, an academic, who never handles large sums of money.”
Leo Albrecht was a German-born publisher and literary agent who established himself in Copenhagen after the Second World War. In 1951 he founded his agency, which played an important role in expanding the international market for Scandinavian literature. He began collecting art in the late 1950s, with a particular focus on Asian sculpture. In Copenhagen, he spent much of his time visiting antique dealers, museums, and exhibitions. He developed especially close ties with Ole Haslund, Lau Sunde, and Freddy Hansen, among the most prominent dealers in their fields. He also traveled frequently to London, where he became close friends with Adrian Maynard. Jorgen Ruben first met Albrecht in 1984, and they quickly became close friends. Ruben later described him as a gentleman and “the greatest collector of Asian art in Denmark.” He acquired Albrecht's entire Asian sculpture collection when Albrecht moved back to Germany after selling his publishing company. The two remained close, with Albrecht continuing to visit Denmark each summer and staying at the Ruben family's beach house north of Copenhagen.
Jorgen Ruben is a Danish art dealer and collector who has been active for over four decades and is highly regarded in the fields of Asian art and classical antiquities. Raised in an art-conscious family, Ruben was exposed early to both modern painting and European decorative arts. He began working in the art trade in the mid-1970s, first with Persian rugs and later with antiques, while travels to Iran and a visit to Persepolis sparked his lasting interest in antiquity. After studies in Copenhagen and London, he worked in England with a dealer in early furniture, before travelling widely in Latin America and Asia, deepening his knowledge of regional art and culture. In 1984 Ruben opened a gallery in Copenhagen dealing in Asian antiquities. He was later active in London and, in the early 2000s, operated the Brussels gallery Classic Art. Much of his career, however, has been conducted privately from home, selling by appointment to collectors, galleries, and museums. Ruben has always bought selectively, choosing only works that deeply engaged him, and often keeping them for many years until placing them with a collector he felt truly understood them.
Important Note: For essential information on the
Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger
Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Expected wear, minor losses, signs of weathering and erosion, old repairs and few minor fills, structural fissures, old smoothed chips, nicks, scratches.
Weight: 103.5 kg (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 90.5 cm (excl. stand), 100.8 cm (incl. stand)
With an associated modern stand. (2)
Angkor Borei was an important early center of Buddhism and Buddhist temple construction before the establishment of the Khmer Empire. The present figure is characteristic of Angkor Borei sculpture, as seen in the subtle protuberance of the ushnisha and the large snail-shell curls. Sculpture from this early period draws influence from Brahmanic sources combined with indigenous local traditions, forming a synthesis of unusual and extraordinary beauty exhibiting the naturalism and grace that echoes the treatment of the body in Gupta-period India, where ornamentation is minimized to emphasize the smooth volume of the form.
Literature comparison:
Compare a related sandstone figure of Buddha, Pre-Angkor period, Angkor Borei style, exhibited by the Museum Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt, Buddha 108 Encounters, 26 February-7 June 2015. Compare a related sandstone figure of Buddha, pre-Angkor period, Phnom Da style, dated 6th century, 90.5 cm high, in the National Museum of Cambodia, inventory number Ka.1591.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's Amsterdam, 21 November 2001, lot 214
Price: EUR 32,900 or approx.
EUR 56,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare pre-Khmer, probably Angkor Borei style, sandstone figure of Buddhamuchalinda, circa 7th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of carving, stone, and subject. Note the
much smaller size (53 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie's Paris, 14 December 2016, lot 24
Price: EUR 242,500 or approx.
EUR 320,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An important sandstone figure of Buddha Muchalinda, Cambodia, Khmer, Bayon period, late 12th-early 13th century
Expert remark: Compare the related modeling of the figure, with analogous treatment of the hair, manner of carving, and stone. Note the larger size (147 cm) and later date.
Buyer's Premium
30%
