 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
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.
|  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.
|  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.
|  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.
|  HEAD OF BUDDHA Current and Past Exhibitions
14 HEAD OF BUDDHA.THAILAND.AYUTTHAYA PERIOD.17TH – 18TH CENTURY.H. 39.5 CMS, 15 ½ INS. A large and unusual gilded and lacquered stucco head of Buddha, the eyes inlaid with mother of pearl and gazing downwards in meditation, the mouth set with a gentle smile and the hair rising to a domed usnisha and composed of snail-shell curls.For a brief history of Ayutthaya please see catalogue no. 16.For a comparable head in bronze please see fig. 236 (cat. no. 99) in Hiram W. Woodward, The Sacred Sculpture of Thailand. The Alexander B. Griswold Collection, Baltimore: Walters Art Gallery, 1997.
|  BRONZE BUDDHA Current and Past Exhibitions
27 BRONZE BUDDHA.THAILAND.MON-DVARAVATI STYLE.8TH - 9TH CENTURY .H. 33 CMS, 13 INS.A large and important bronze figure of a standing Buddha, both hands forming vitarka (teaching)-mudra, the robe covering both shoulders and falling from the wrist to follow the contours of the body down to a typical U-shaped hem, the undergarments visible beneath, with long earlobes, a narrow face, downcast eyes and lips forming a slight smile, the hair arranged in tight curls rising to a conical usnisha. The Mon-Dvaravati kingdom, which flourished from the sixth through tenth centuries AD, was established when the Mons of Burma migrated south into Siam. They became ensconced in the river basins of Central Thailand – their main centres at Nakhon Pathom, Lopburi, U-Thong and Kubua - and ruled the area for four centuries. Mon-Dvaravati art finds its origins in the Gupta art of India; characterised by curled hair, full lips and a small waist. The Mon adaptation of the Gupta style incorporates both Hindu and (Theravada) Buddhist iconography. The great 110cm bronze Buddha in the National Museum, Bangkok, is similar to this example - see no. 15 in R. Ringis (ed.), Treasures from the National Museum, Bangkok, Bangkok: National Museum Volunteers Group, 1987. For another example see fig. 59 (cat. no. 9) in Hiram W. Woodward, The Sacred Sculpture of Thailand. The Alexander B. Griswold Collection, Baltimore: Walters Art Gallery, 1997.Provenance: Private English Collection.Purchased from Spink and Son Ltd in July 1995.
|  BLUE GLAZED POTTERY JAR AND COVER Current and Past Exhibitions
6 BLUE GLAZED POTTERY JAR AND COVER.CHINA, HENAN AREA.TANG DYNASTY, 618 - 907 AD.H. 15.5 CMS, 6 1/8 INS. A blue-glazed pottery jar and cover of well-rounded ovoid form with a flared neck and a flat foot, the shaped cover with pointed knop, the earthenware body covered in a deep cobalt-blue glaze pooling around the base, the inside rim glazed blue, the interior thinly applied with a cream coloured glaze.The intense blue of this vessel derives from cobalt, imported from Persia and introduced to China in the 8th century. These glazes were sometimes applied over a white slip to enhance the purity and brilliance of the colours.For an identical vase with a similarly rich cobalt glaze in the Collection of the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, see plate 133, page 182 in The Silk Road and The World of Xuanzong, Exhibition catalogue, Nara Prefectural Museum of Art, June 12 - August 8, 1999. Another vase decorated with a green glaze is illustrated as plate 226, page 138 in R. Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, Volume One, Azimuth Editions, 1994. Age verified by Oxford thermoluminescence test, certificate no. C199t80.Provenance: From the collection of a titled English lady. Purchased from Spink and Son Ltd - illustrated as catalogue no. 38 in Treasures from the Silk Road: Devotion, Conquest and Trade along Asia’s highways, Spink, 1999.
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