 TABERNACLE WITH SEATED BUDDHA Current and Past Exhibitions
Catalogue no. 6.TABERNACLE WITH SEATED BUDDHA.THAILAND.LOPBURI STYLE.12TH – 13TH CENTURY.H. (OVERALL) 65 CMS, 25 ½ INS.W. (BOTTOM OF BASE) 23 CMS, 9 INS.An exceptionally rare and important bronze tabernacle of four parts, containing a crowned and jewelled Buddha seated in bhumisparsimudra (the gesture of ‘summoning the earth to witness’) on a tall pedestal decorated with dancing apsaras and the demons of Mara’s army, wearing a three-piece monastic robe, elaborate crown, necklace and earrings once set with precious or semi-precious stones, the central figure enclosed by a naga arch and a flame-edged aureole; the entire ensemble surmounted by a stylised bodhi tree containing three further Buddhas and a circular boss representing the sun.This outstanding, elaborate image has a glossy, greenish-black patina and represents the final week of the Buddha’s fast as he overcomes Mara and attains enlightenment. During the early part of the 13th century the central Thai province of Lopburi shook off its domination by the Khmers and enjoyed a brief period as an independent kingdom. Works of art produced in Lopburi during the 12th to 13th century are heavily influenced by Khmer idioms and include a number of examples (such as this one), of crowned and jewelled Buddhas seated within tabernacles, or ‘jewelled houses’. After the founding of Ayutthaya in 1350 Lopburi succumbed rapidly to its more powerful neighbour and was incorporated into that kingdom. Large, complete tabernacles of this type rarely appear on the art market - the last that I am aware of was in 1998 - see Spink, The Lion of the Shakyas, cat. no. 6. For an almost identical example in the Linden-Museum, Stuttgart, see cat. no. 118, p. 108 in G. Kreisel, Linden-Museum Stuttgart: Südasien-Abteilung, Linden-Museum Stuttgart, 1987 (also published in Spink, Exhibition: Indian Influence on Art in South-East Asia, London, 1970). The L.A. County Museum of Art has a fine double-sided example – see no. 131 in P. Pal, The Sensuous Immortals: A Selection of Sculptures from the Pan-Asian Collection, L.A. County Museum of Art, 1977. For two smaller, less elaborate examples see nos. 13 and 14 in P. Krairiksh, Khmer Bronzes: A Selection from the Suan Phka Tevoda Collection, Lugano, 1982. PROVENANCE: Private Asian collection. This Buddha has been owned and revered by the same family for more than 70 years. It was stolen in the late 1960s and, by the time the police recovered it a few days later, it had been resold twice!
|  STANDING AVALOKITESVARA Current and Past Exhibitions
Catalogue no. 20.STANDING AVALOKITESVARA.KHMER.ANGKOR PERIOD.BAYON STYLE.LATE 12TH – EARLY 13TH CENTURY.H. (INCLUDING TANG): 170 CMS, 67 INS.A monumental sandstone figure of a four-armed Avalokitesvara, the Lord of Infinite Compassion; muscular and powerful, the face beatific beneath a raised chignon bearing a seated figure of Buddha Amitabha, wearing a short pleated sampot secured by a belt embellished with lotus motifs and jewelled pendants, with broad fishtail pleats at the front and back, the upper left hand holding a sacred water vessel.These images are believed to represent the deified form of the Khmer ruler Jayavarman VII (r. 1181-1218?). During King Jayavarman VII’s reign Mahayana Buddhism became the state religion, the Khmer empire reached its greatest extent- as far as the Thai border areas, the Champa kingdom of modern-day Vietnam and parts of Laos as well- and many of its greatest monuments were erected. The temples of Banteay Kdei, Ta Prohm, Preah Khan, Banteay Chmar and the great enclosure of Angkor Thom were all built during his reign.There is a fine example of a four-armed Avalokitesvara from Preah Khan (Angkor), of some 2.15 metres (7 feet) in height in the National Museum, Phnom Penh- the head is reproduced as fig. 526 in M. Girard-Geslan et al, Art of Southeast Asia, New York: Harry N. Abrams Inc, 1998. The head and torso of a large example were exhibited at a 1994 exhibition in New York - see nos. 19 and 20 in M. Lerner, Ancient Khmer Sculpture, Chinese Porcelain Company exhibition catalogue, New York, 1994. PROVENANCE:Private English collection.Formerly in a Private Collection in Singapore from 1985.
|  Seated Avalokitesvara
Seated Avalokitesvara.Vietnam, Cham period.Dong Duong style.9th- 10th century. H. 66 cm, 26 ins; W. 50 cm, 19 ¾ ins; D: 26 cm, 10 ¼ ins. A dynamic, delicately carved sandstone figure of a four-armed Avalokitesvara; seated in a relaxed posture atop a tiered base and holding his various attributes, comprising the lotus flower, a bowl of nectar, a sword and scriptures.This unusual figure embodies the aesthetic characteristics of the Dong Duong period; namely soft contours, exaggerated features and a calm facial expression. Avalokitesvara’s calm expression is in fact an allusion to the Mahayana Buddhist teachings that became popular during the Dong Duong period. The production of Avalokitesvara images was prolific during this time period because of his importance within the Mahayana pantheon.For two related sculptures, please see plates 50 and 54, La Statuaire Du Champa: Recherches Sur Les Cultes et l’Iconographie, Paris: École Française d’Extrême-Orient, 1963. The same figures are illustrated as plates 42 and 43 in Cham Art: Treasures from the Da Nang Museum, Bangkok: River Books, 2001.PROVENANCE:English private collection.
|  SANDSTONE HEAD OF VISHNU Current and Past Exhibitions
Catalogue no. 27.SANDSTONE HEAD OF VISHNU.KHMER.PRE-ANGKOR PERIOD.7TH - 8TH CENTURY.H. 18.5 CMS, 7 ¼ INS.An exquisite grey sandstone head of a male deity, probably Vishnu, with a gentle smile; wearing a large earring in one (intact) ear and a tall, slightly tapering mitre headdress. Vishnu, together with Brahma and Siva, is one of the members of the Hindu trimurti (Skt. ‘Triple Form’). Vishnu becomes incarnate in different divine forms (avatars) from age to age in order to preserve the world.This style of Pre-Khmer sculpture used to be referred to as Prasat Andet. For a related image in the Cleveland Museum of Art, see plate 14 in Emma Bunker and Douglas Latchford, Adoration and Glory: The Golden Age of Khmer Art, Chicago: Art Media Resources, 2004. See also plate 19 in M. Giteau, Khmer Sculpture and the Angkor Civilisation. London: Thames and Hudson, 1965. PROVENANCE: Private English collection. Acquired by the owner’s father during employment with the British Foreign Service during the 1950s or 1960s.
|  SANDSTONE HEAD OF VISHNU Current and Past Exhibitions
Catalogue no. 25.SANDSTONE HEAD OF VISHNU.KHMER.PRE-ANGKOR PERIOD.7TH - 8TH CENTURY.H. 20 CMS, 8 ½ INS.An exceptional grey sandstone head of a male deity, probably Vishnu, with an enigmatic smile; wearing large earrings and a tall, slightly tapering mitre headdress. Vishnu, together with Brahma and Siva, is one of the members of the Hindu trimurti (Skt. ‘Triple Form’). Vishnu becomes incarnate in different divine forms (avatars) from age to age in order to preserve the world.This style of Pre-Khmer sculpture used to be referred to as Prasat Andet. For a related image in the Cleveland Museum of Art, see plate 14 in Emma Bunker and Douglas Latchford, Adoration and Glory: The Golden Age of Khmer Art, Chicago: Art Media Resources, 2004. See also plate 19 in M. Giteau, Khmer Sculpture and the Angkor Civilisation. London: Thames and Hudson, 1965. PROVENANCE: Private English collection. Acquired by the owner’s father during employment with the British Foreign Service during the 1950s or 1960s.
|  SANDSTONE HANDS OF A DEITY Current and Past Exhibitions
No. 23(LEFT). LARGE BRONZE HAND OF BUDDHA .THAILAND, SUKHOTHAI PERIOD, 14TH CENTURY.L. 25 CMS, 10 INS.Reference: see nos. 58a and b in T. Bowie (ed.), The Sculpture of Thailand, Exhibition catalogue, New York: Asia Society, 1972.SOLDNo. 24 (CENTRE).SANDSTONE HAND OF A DEITY, POSSIBLY PRAJNAPARAMITA, HOLDING A LOTUS.KHMER, ANGKOR PERIOD, BAYON STYLE, LATE 12TH – EARLY 13TH CENTURY.L. 19 CMS, 7 ½ INS.No. 25(RIGHT). BRONZE HAND OF A MALE DEITY.SOLD.PROVENANCE (ALL THREE): Property of a private Japanese collector.
|  SANDSTONE FIGURE OF VISHNU Current and Past Exhibitions
No. 9.SANDSTONE FIGURE OF VISHNU.KHMER, PRE-ANGKOR PERIOD, PHNOM DA STYLE, 6TH - 7TH CENTURY.H. 28.5 CMS, 11 ¼ INS.A grey sandstone figure of a four-armed Vishnu, the face broad and imposing beneath a mitre headdress, the upper left hand holding a conch and the upper right a chakra, the belt and pleats of the knee-length sampot delineated by shallow, incised lines.Note: The cross-bar behind the head has been repaired.For a related figure of a Phnom Da Vishnu in the Phnom Penh Museum, see plate 84 in M. Girard-Geslan et al, Art of Southeast Asia, New York: Harry N. Abrams Inc, 1998.PROVENANCE: Property of a private Japanese collector.
|  SANDSTONE FIGURE OF PRAJNAPARAMITA Current and Past Exhibitions
Catalogue no. 26.SANDSTONE FIGURE OF PRAJNAPARAMITA.KHMER.ANGKOR PERIOD.ANGKOR WAT STYLE.EARLY 12TH CENTURY.H. 89 CMS, 35 INS.A superbly sculpted greyish-brown sandstone bust of Prajnaparamita, the face gentle and serene beneath a conical headdress adorned with a seated figure of Amitabha Buddha; wearing elaborate jewellery and a sampot with a broad flap folded over at the front, an incised belt embellished with pendants and lotus rosettes, and a large central fish-tail pleat. Prajnaparamita is the Goddess of Transcendent Wisdom and Mother of all Buddhas.The reign of the great ruler King Suryavarman II (r. 1113 –ca. 1150) was marked by an expansion of the empire and the construction of Angkor Wat, one of the supreme architectural masterpieces of the earth. It was built as a temple- mountain, dedicated to Vishnu and was also intended as King Suryavarman’s personal funerary monument.For a closely related image of Lakshmi in the Phnom Penh Museum, see cat. no. 91 in Khun Samen, The New Guide to the National Museum-Phnom Penh. Phnom Penh: Department of Museums, 2006. The Phnom Penh Museum also has a figure of Prajnaparamita without a necklace but with similar belt pendants – see pl. 42 in M. Giteau, Khmer Sculpture and the Angkor Civilisation. London: Thames and Hudson, 1965. PROVENANCE: Private English collection.
|  Radiating Avalokitesvara Current and Past Exhibitions
Radiating Avalokitesvara KhmerAngkor period, Bayon style, Late 12th/ Early 13th centuryH. 110 cm, 43 ½ ins.A monumental sandstone figure of an eight-armed radiating Avalokitesvara, muscular and powerful, the hair, upper torso and arms covered in minute representations of the Buddha and with seated figures of Prajnaparamita (the Goddess of Transcendent Wisdom) on the chest, stomach and lower back; the face beatific beneath a raised chignon bearing a seated figure of Amitabha, wearing a short pleated sampot with a broad fishtail at the front.These images are believed to represent the Khmer ruler Jayavarman VII. There are celebrated examples of this type in both the Bangkok National Museum and the Musée Guimet, with only one other large version appearing in the art market in recent years [see M. Lerner, Ancient Khmer Sculpture, Chinese Porcelain Company exhibition catalogue, New York, 1994]. According to Lerner (ibid.), there are fewer than a dozen known examples of this type.
|  Greyish brown sandstone head of the Buddha Muchalinda Current and Past Exhibitions
11. Greyish brown sandstone head of the Buddha Muchalinda. Khmer, Angkor Period, Bayon style.Late 12th — early 13th century.H. 35 cms, 13 ¾ ins. Provenance: Private Swiss Collection, acquired between1945-1975.Reference: See catalogue no. 94 in Angkor et dix siècles d’art Khmer, Exhibition catalogue, Paris: Reunion des Musées Nationaux, 1997.
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