 TWO STANDING BUDDHAS Current and Past Exhibitions
1 and 2 TWO STANDING BUDDHAS. LAOS, FROM THE VICINITY OF LUANG PRABANG.SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY.H. (INCLUDING FINIALS): 83 CMS, 32 ¾ INS (LEFT)AND 82 CMS, 32 ¼ INS (RIGHT).Two gilded and lacquered wood figures of standing Buddhas on high pedestals, their raised usnishas topped by flame finials, with eyes half-closed in meditation and faces gentle and serene; the left one standing in double abhayamudra and the right with hands crossed in front of his chest in the gesture of ‘reflection’. Laotian sculpture is rare, especially when crafted in friable materials like wood, which often falls victim to humidity or to insects. The Laotian kingdom of Lan Xang or Lan Chang was established during the 14th century and ruled by Thais. Its northern capital of Luang Prabang was subjected to cultural influences from the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai, while its southern capital, Vientiane, absorbed Khmer and Ayutthaya (Thai) motifs. Among the four thousand Buddha images left by worshippers at the Pak Ou (Tam Ting) Caves, near Luang Prabang, are many examples of this type. For two related examples, please see pages 246 and 248 in S. Lopetcharat, Lao Buddha: The Image and Its History, Bangkok: Siam International Book Company, 2000. For more on the Pak Ou caves, see page 33 in D. Heywood, Ancient Luang Prabang, Bangkok: River Books, 2006.RIGHT HAND FIGURE IS SOLD.
|  TERRACOTTA HEAD OF A BODHISATTVA Current and Past Exhibitions
28 TERRACOTTA HEAD OF A BODHISATTVA. NORTHWEST PAKISTAN OR AFGHANISTAN.GANDHARA, 4TH - 5TH CENTURY AD.HADDA STYLE. H. 18.5 CMS, 7 ¼ INS. A delightful terracotta head of a Bodhisattva wearing an elaborate diadem with pentagonal designs representing gold repoussé plaques above a braided band; the hair in wavy lines, the face well-proportioned and the eyes cast down in meditation, a well-formed nose above a sensitive mouth. The use of stucco and terracotta as a substitute for the grey schist of many early Gandhara sculptures led to a greater freedom of expression and innovation. For a similar terracotta head from the Robert Ellsworth collection please see fig. 199 in Deborah E. Klimburg-Salter, Buddha in Indien, Vienna: Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, 1995. For a terracotta Bodhisattva head with similar repoussé plaques, see catalogue no. 15 in Treasures from the Silk Road: Devotion, Conquest and Trade along Asia’s highways, Spink, 1999.
|  STANDING LIMESTONE BUDDHA Current and Past Exhibitions
11 STANDING LIMESTONE BUDDHA. CHINA, SHANDONG PROVINCE.NORTHERN QI DYNASTY, 550-557 AD.H. 127 CMS, 50 INS.An exceptional white limestone figure of Buddha standing on a lotus pedestal with his right hand raised in abhayamudra and his left lowered in varadamudra, carved in the round with a raised usnisha and elongated earlobes, the face serene with eyes cast downwards in meditation, the corners of the lips drawn up into a faint smile, the expression benevolent and tranquil; the sanghati covering both shoulders with a broad collar and descending to a double-hem, the surface of the stone with extensive pigmentation, gilding and plant residue.The celebrated Qingzhou hoard, a large group of Buddhist statues of exceptional quality, was accidentally unearthed in 1996 by workers levelling a school sports field in Qingzhou, a small city in Shandong Province on China's northeast coast. Created during a 50-year period spanning the Northern Wei (386–534), Eastern Wei (534–550) and the Northern Qi (550–577) dynasties, the sculptures illustrate the dramatic stylistic changes that occurred during that time. The unusual quantity of remaining gilding and vibrant red, green and other pigments on their surfaces provide an opportunity for the viewer to experience the impact of brightly decorated sculpture - the norm in ancient China. Note: The stone colour, patination, plant residue and pigments are identical on both the main figure and the lotus pedestal; evidence that both parts of the sculpture belong together. There are also extensive traces of a painted monk’s robe on both the front and back of this sculpture.For a similar example from the Qingzhou horde, please see no. 17 in the exhibition catalogue for Royal Academy of Arts, Return of the Buddha: The Qingzhou Discoveries, 2002. Provenance: Private Scottish collection.
|  Standing Buddha Current and Past Exhibitions
16 STANDING BUDDHA.THAILAND.AYUTTHAYA PERIOD.17TH CENTURY.H. 87.5 CMS, 34 1/2 INS. A slender, elegant bronze figure of Buddha, standing with his feet slightly apart on a tiered pedestal inlaid with glass, his right hand raised in abhayamudra and the left pendant by his side, the face placid and smiling beneath a domed chignon rising to a tall flame finial; the sanghati with a broad belt and a central fold between the legs, covering both shoulders and descending to points at the hem, the image covered throughout by a thick layer of gilding.This captivating figure was created during the period of Thailand’s Ayutthaya Kingdom. The kingdom of Ayutthaya, established by King U Thong in 1350 in the Chao Phraya River basin to the north of Bangkok was, until the Burmese attacked and burned its capital in 1767, one of the richest and most enduring sovereignties of Southeast Asia, attracting innumerable merchants and other visitors, not only from neighbouring Asian countries but also from Europe as well. This image is covered with multiple layers of gold leaf, a practice that still continues during worship in Thai temples. The pedestal on which it stands is contemporary with the piece and is firmly attached to the figure. Elaborate pedestals of this type are often mistakenly attributed to the 19th century Ratanakosin period - in fact they first appear in the 17th century: see cat. no. 48 in F. McGill et al, The Kingdom of Siam: The Art of Central Thailand, San Francisco: Asian Art Museum, 2005. The Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg has a similar figure – see no. 48 in State Hermitage Museum, Siamese Art of the 14th-19th centuries in the Hermitage, St Petersburg, 1997.
|  STANDING BUDDHA Current and Past Exhibitions
5 STANDING BUDDHA.THAILAND.AYUTTHAYA PERIOD.16TH - 17TH CENTURY.H. 130 CMS, 51 INS. A magnificent carved, lacquered and gilded wooden figure of Buddha, his face placid and reflective beneath a domed chignon rising to the remains of a flame finial; his arms extended to hold an alms bowl and his sanghati flaring and covering both shoulders with a broad belt and a central fold between the legs, with an extensive covering of gilding and black lacquer throughout.This blissful, perfectly proportioned figure was sculpted during the middle part of Thailand’s Ayutthaya kingdom. For a brief history of Ayutthaya please see the entry for catalogue no. 16.For a similar large wooden figure in the renowned Jim Thompson collection, please see plate no. 71 in W. Warren and B. Brake, The House on the Klong: The Bangkok Home and Asian Art Collection of James Thompson, New York and Tokyo: Walker/Weatherhill, 1968.
|  STANDING BUDDHA Current and Past Exhibitions
22 STANDING BUDDHA.NORTHWEST PAKISTAN .PROBABLY FROM THE SAHRI BAHLOL -TAKHT I BAHI AREA .GANDHARA.2ND - 3RD CENTURY AD.H. 66 CMS, 26 INS.An exquisitely sculpted grey schist figure of Buddha standing with his legs slightly apart upon a pedestal decorated with lotuses; his right hand raised in abhayamudra and the left holding a fold of his robe, the hair emanating in symmetrical waves from a point above the forehead, the face tranquil with a beatific smile, a circular nimbus behind. Large, frontal Buddha images like this are modelled upon Greco-Roman ideals and were placed in shrines, niches and courtyards of monasteries (viharas). For examples of similar standing Buddhas with lotus-decorated pedestals, please see nos. 201, 219, 221 and 222 in Isao Kurita, Gandharan Art II: The Buddha’s Life Story, Tokyo: Nigensha publishing, 2003.
|  SEATED BUDDHA Current and Past Exhibitions
21 SEATED BUDDHA.SRI LANKA.ANURADHAPURA PERIOD.8TH CENTURY.H. 10 CMS, 4 INS.A rare, solid-cast bronze figure of Buddha, seated in virasana with his hands in dhyanamudra, the sanghati covering one shoulder with a broad sash extending to the waist at the front and back, the usnisha rising to a flame finial (now missing); with extensive traces of gilding on the surface.Founded during the 4th century BC, Anuradhapura was a political and religious capital of Sri Lanka for the next 1,400 years. An invasion by the Cholas of South India in 993 led to its abandonment in favour of Polonnaruva. A sacred bodhi tree at Anuradhapura was grown from a cutting taken from the tree at Bodhgaya, India, beneath which the Buddha reputedly attained enlightenment.The absence of a flange or lotus pedestal at the base of this sculpture places it firmly in the 8th century. The siraspata (flame usnisha), now missing, would once have held a gem. For a similar example in the National Museum, Kandy, Sri Lanka, see plate 50H in Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures of Sri Lanka, Hong Kong: Visual Dharma Publications, 1990. Provenance: Private English collection. Acquired in Oxford in 1982.
|  SEATED BUDDHA Current and Past Exhibitions
15 SEATED BUDDHA.BURMA.POST- PAGAN PERIOD.MID 15TH – EARLY 17TH CENTURY.H. 89 CMS, 35 INS.A large wood figure of Buddha, seated upon a double lotus pedestal with his right hand lowered in bhumisparsimudra (the gesture of summoning the earth to witness) and his left resting in his lap; the face stately but benign beneath an usnisha tapering to a flame finial; a rectangular opening on the back of the pedestal perhaps made for the concealment of relics. Age determined by University of Arizona Radiocarbon-14 test as 1448 - 1632 AD (95% certainty).This Buddha is very much in the Pagan style but the radiocarbon test reveals that it was made several centuries later. There are a number of examples of later images with a lingering Pagan influence; the figures tend to me more slender and somewhat ‘elongated’. For a later example in bronze in the British Museum, see fig. 10, page 62 in Donald Stadtner (ed.), The Art of Burma: New Studies, Mumbai: Marg Publications, 1999. For a second example in the Pagan Museum see fig. 285 in M. Girard-Geslan et al, Art of Southeast Asia, New York: Harry N. Abrams Inc, 1998.
|  POLYCHROMED WOOD DVARAPALA Current and Past Exhibitions
25 POLYCHROMED WOOD DVARAPALA.SOUTH INDIA, TAMIL NADU OR ANDHRA PRADESH.LATE 18TH CENTURY – EARL 19TH CENTURY.H. 203 CMS, 80 INS.A monumental polychromed wood figure of a Dvarapala (temple guardian), dynamic and imposing, carved in low relief, with an intent, watchful gaze and small protruding fangs, wearing large round earrings, a necklace with a disc pendant, basubands and a tall tapering crown decorated with a leaf motif, trailing a long garland, the right hand raised with his index finger extended heavenwards, his right leg elevated at the knee and resting against a large club or mace; the surface covered with a layer of jute cloth and predominantly red polychrome decoration, the reverse with iron attachment loops. Because of the Indian subcontinent’s heat and humidity, there are almost no wooden sculptures surviving from before the 17th or 18th century. In Kerala, Tamil Nadu and other parts of southern India wood is used to make chariots (rathas) and other conveyances (vahanas) for carrying sacred images of the gods in festival processions. Wood is also used for architectural supports, wall panels and votive images within the temple itself. Dvarapalas are often placed as guardians at the entrance to the temple’s inner sanctuary and the figure offered here probably served this purpose. For a pair of related dvarapalas on a chariot from the Kapalishvara Temple, Mylapore, Madras see fig. 3 in George Michell (ed.), Living Wood: Sculptural Traditions of Southern India. Bombay: MARG Publications, 1992. Two consorts of Aiyanar in a large Tamil Nadu votive image have similar headdresses – see catalogue no. 61 (ibid.).
|  HEAD OF BUDDHA Current and Past Exhibitions
17 HEAD OF BUDDHA.NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN.PROBABLY FROM THE KUNDUZ AREA.KUSHAN, 1ST- 2ND CENTURY AD.H. 36 CMS, 14 INS. A highly important and possibly unique white limestone head of the Buddha, the hair emanating in waves from a centre-point above a raised urna, the eyes half open and the mouth set with a gentle smile; with the remains of both shoulders and a mandorla still present.The style of this large, impressive sculpture marks a transition between the classical art of sites such as Ai Khanum and the more syncretic flavour of later art from Gandhara, typified by the artists of Hadda. Almost nothing of a similar style has survived the ravages of time and the attentions of iconoclasts. A rare exception is the celebrated limestone relief of the Buddha and disciples beneath the bodhi tree, found at Fayaz-tepe, near Termez, Southern Uzbekistan: see plate 175 in Shiruku Rodo dai bunmeiten. Shiruku rodo, oashisu to sogen no michi, (The Grand Exhibition of Silk Road civilizations). 3 vols, exhibition catalogue, Nara National Museum. Nara: Nara Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan, 1988 and fig. 265 in Jonathan Tucker, The Silk Road: Art and History, London: Philip Wilson Publishers, 2003.Provenance: Private English collection.Previously sold in our 2002 exhibition ‘Glimmerings from the East’, catalogue no. 2.
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