A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF AMOGHASIDDHI, POSSIBLY DENSATIL, TIBET, 14TH-15TH CENTURY

A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF AMOGHASIDDHI, ONE OF THE FIVE WISDOM BUDDHAS, POSSIBLY DENSATIL, TIBET, 14TH-15TH CENTURY
Expert's note:
The present sculpture dates from the fourteenth or early fifteenth century and is modelled in Nepalese style with the diaphanous robe clinging to the muscular body. The alloy with its rather high copper content and distinct copper-red color, the extra thick casting and the well-defined lotus petals are common traits of sculpture typically associated with the famed monastery of Densatil. Furthermore, close comparison can be drawn with the present lot's squared face, convexly stepped eyebrows, double-lined eyelids and lips, and sinuous upper lid with those of several Densatil figures in public and private collections (see comparisons below).
The relatively simplistic form and lack of ornamentation is not common at Densatil, however, photographic evidence captured by Pietro Mele in 1948 shows closely related Buddha statues set against cast back panels in the fourth tier of the Tashi Gomang stupa. The base of the figure has been resealed with a simple metal plate, a fact that could indicate that it may once have been part of a larger supporting structure, such as Tashi Gomang stupa, from which it was forcibly removed. The many small traces of violence, see condition report below, could further support the theory that this figure may indeed have been one of the victims of the destruction of Densatil during China's Cultural Revolution (1966-1978).
Finely cast seated in dhyanasana on a double lotus pedestal atop a stepped plinth, his right hand raised in abhaya mudra above his left lowered in dhyana mudra, the tapering waist wrapped in a sheer monastic robe, gathering elegantly in remarkably well executed folds at his feet and over the left shoulder. His serene face with heavy-lidded downcast eyes below gently arched brows centered by a raised circular urna. His hair arranged in tight curls over the domed ushnisha topped by a jewel.
Provenance:
West Berkshire, United Kingdom, local trade. By repute acquired from a private estate.
Condition:
Good condition, commensurate with age, showing expected old wear and casting flaws, scattered dents, light rubbing to gilt, tiny nicks here and there. Minor losses, minimal cracks, the fingers of one hand bent back slightly, due to heavy impact. A distinct stress crack at the lower end in front of the figure. The base resealed with a metal plate.
Weight: 3,492 g
Dimensions: Height 26.2 cm
This fine sculpture depicts the Presiding Buddha Amoghasiddhi,
whose name means, "He Whose Accomplishments Are Not in Vain". Amoghasiddhi, identified by his hand gesture of reassurance (abhaya mudra), exemplifies a Buddha's transcendence over jealousy. He is one of the Five Wisdom Buddhas (Tathagatas) of the Mahayana and Vajrayana tradition of Buddhism and as part of the five, this sculpture would have been joined by representation of the other four Tathagatas, exactly as seen in the fourth tier of the Tashi Gomang stupa in Densatil. His consort is Tara, meaning 'liberator', and he is often depicted mounted on Garuda. He belongs to the family of karma whose family symbol is the double vajra.
Densatil
was a Kagyu monastic complex in central Tibet, southeast of Lhasa, that has long been considered one of the great treasures of Tibet. Founded in the late 12th century, it enjoyed generous patronage and was lavishly decorated during a period of expansion from circa 1360 until the early 16th century. The monastery was known for eight extraordinary memorial stupas symbolizing Buddha's first teaching in Benares. These stupas were called tashi gomang, meaning "many doors of auspiciousness," and were multi-tiered copper-alloy structures filled with deities such as the present example, standing more than ten feet tall and resplendent with inlays of semiprecious stones. Prior to the destruction of Densatil, eight of them dating between 1208 and 1432 stood in the Monastery's main hall.
Followers of the charismatic Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo
(1110-1170) constructed the Densatil Monastery. His school, which came to be known as Phagmo Drupa Kagyu, was one of the four primary schools of the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Its noble house became so powerful that their dynasty ruled from the mid-fourteenth to the mid-fifteenth century. Eventually it had died out by the end of the seventeenth century, but the Densatil Monastery survived intact under the control of other Tibetan Buddhist schools until it was eventually destroyed. Today the monastery is undergoing reconstruction thanks to the efforts of the Tibetan Autonomous Region Ministry of Culture and the Drigung (Drikung) Kagyu school.
Literature comparison:
Compare the seated unadorned Buddhas made by Newar craftsmen seen in photographs of Densatil monastery taken by Pietro Mele in 1948, see O. Czaja and A. Proser, Golden Visions of Densatil, New York, 2014, pp. 18-19. Compare a related bronze figure of Buddha Vajrasana, 34.1 cm high, dated to the 14th century, illustrated in Ulrich von Schroeder's book Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Vol. 2, Hong Kong, 2001 pp. 1062-1063, no. 271D, and
note that this figure has also been resealed with a metal plate
. Compare two Densatil figures of Amoghasiddhi and Akshobhya in the The Berti Aschmann Foundation Collection, see Uhlig, On a Path to Enlightenment, Museum Rietberg, Zurich, 1995, pp. 74-75. Compare a related figure of Akshobhya Buddha from Densatil, 30.5 cm high, dated late 14th to early 15th century, in the National Museum of Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number S2012.6.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams New York, 17 March 2014, lot 16
Price: USD 461,000 or approx.
EUR 543,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt copper alloy figure of Buddha, Tibet, probably Densatil, early 15th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related extra thick casting, modeling with near-identical facial features and diaphanous robe, and size (26.7 cm). Note the different hand posture and more compressed lotus petals to the base.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 2 October 2018, lot 52
Price: HKD 1,1250,000 or approx.
EUR 144,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt copper alloy figure of Amoghasiddhi, Tibet, 15th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject with identical hand gestures and modeling with similar facial features and lotus base as well as the related manner of casting, gilding, and size (28.5 cm). Note the incised hems to the robe and the lack of slits to the earlobes.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams New York, 23 September 2020, lot 618
Price: USD 250,075 or approx.
EUR 267,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt copper alloy figure of Buddha, Tibet or Nepal, circa 14th century
Expert remark: Compare the related thick casting, solid gilding, and modeling with a similar diaphanous robe gathering in double folds to the base. Note the different pose, incised hems, sinuous eyebrows, and slightly larger size (31.5 cm).
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