A magnificent and monumental gilt-bronze figure of Maitreya, Yuan dynasty – Hongwu period. Height 116.8 cm. Est. HK$20,000,000 – 30,000,000/US$2,600,000 – 3,800,000. Courtesy Sotheby’s.

HONG KONG.- This autumn, Sotheby’s Hong Kong Chinese Works of Art Autumn Sales 2017 presents The Heart of Tantra ­– Buddhist Art Including Property from the Nyingjei Lam Collection, a themed sale which will be held on 3 October at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Capturing the rich artistic tradition of bronze craftsmanship of Tibet, Nepal, India, China and Mongolia, this inaugural Hong Kong sale of Himalayan and Chinese Buddhist works of art features 50 lots, ranging in date from the 10th to 18th century, and is led by 21 bronze sculptures from the Nyingjei Lam collection, sold to raise funds for charities in India. The collection has long been acknowledged as a predominant reference for the understanding of Himalayan sculptural art and was formerly on loan to the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford and the Rubin Museum of Art, New York. Other highlights include a magnificent Tibetan gilt-bronze group of Yamantaka Vajrabhairava and Vajravetali, a monumental Yuan/Hongwu standing gilt-bronze figure of Maitreya from an American private collection and a 14th century Nepalese gilt-bronze figure of Manjushri, originally given to Canadian diplomat Chester Ronning by the King of Nepal. 

Julian King, Director, International Specialist, Chinese Works of Art, states, “We are very excited to present our inaugural sale of Himalayan and Chinese Buddhist art this October. The selection of 50 lots includes spectacular examples from Tibet, Nepal, India, Mongolia and China encapsulating the greatest of what was created from the 10th to 18th centuries. The sale not only consists of radiant images of compassion and wisdom, such as the sublime Nepalese figure of Manjushri, but also powerful and energetic images of wrathful tantric deities, including the magnificent Tibetan figure of Yamantaka. We are confident that the illustrious provenance of our selection will prove to be highly attractive and reassuring to collectors, especially the 21 sculptures from the Nyingjei Lam collection, one of the greatest collections of Himalayan art in private hands, which are now being sold to raise funds for charities in India” 

SALE HIGHLIGHTS 

A large silver and copper-inlaid bronze figure of Shakyamuni Buddha, Central Tibet, 13th - 14th century. Height 43.4 cm. Est. HK$2,000,000 – 3,000,000/US$260,000 – 380,000. Courtesy Sotheby’s.

This large and imposing Tibetan bronze depicts the historical Shakyamuni Buddha reaching forward with his right hand, calling the earth to witness his triumph over the assaults and temptations of the demon Mara. The current work, executed in a richly patinated bronze and sharply contrasted by the application of cold gold and polychrome to the face, neck and hair, demonstrates the stylistic transition between the early Eastern Indian sculptural traditions and that of the Newari aesthetic tradition so prevalent in the two centuries to follow. This is one of the twenty-one bronze sculptures from the Nyingjei Lam collection in the sale, all of which have been included at major exhibitions at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford and the Rubin Museum of Art, New York. 

A magnificent and extremely rare gilt bronze group of Yamantaka Vajrabhairava and Vajravetali, Tibet, 15th century. Height 30 cm. Est. HK$25,000,000 – 30,000,000/US$3,200,000 – 3,800,000. Courtesy Sotheby’s.

Displaying tremendous power and presence, this magnificent group of Yamantaka Vajrabhairava and Vajravetali, arguably the greatest example in private hands, demonstrates the marriage of Nepalese and Tibetan sculptural elements with its rich gilding, powerful and sensuous physical modelling, complex and sensitive casting and chasing, and masterful use of semi-precious stone inlay. On every area of the current sculpture, details are rendered with meticulous attention to detail. The only other Tibetan fifteenth century gilt-bronze figure of this iconography of similar large size, elegance and proportion, is preserved in the collection of the Potala Palace, Lhasa. However, the structural quality and casting of the current figure transcends all other examples. 

A spectacular and extremely rare large gilt-bronze group of Chakrasamvara and Vajravarahi, Tibet, Densatil, 14th – 15th century. Height 31.4 cm. Est. HK$10,000,000 – 15,000,000/US$1,300,000 – 1,900,000. Courtesy Sotheby’s.

The distinctive characteristics of this spectacular sculpture clearly point to its origin at the celebrated monastery of Densatil, where a magnificent repository of sculptures made in the Newari style was commissioned by Tibetan patrons from the 13th century onwards. Sensuously and expressively modelled, it is decorated with rich mercury gilding and inset with multi-coloured gems. Chakrasamvara and Vajravarahi are depicted engaging in the perfect union of wisdom and compassion in this dramatic and powerful sculpture. The statue serves as a device for the visualisation of the Chakrasamvara tantra, a secret treatise with its origin in medieval eastern India, used by practitioners to increase their ability to attain the ultimate goal of Enlightenment. 

A magnificent and monumental gilt-bronze figure of Maitreya, Yuan dynasty – Hongwu period. Height 116.8 cm. Est. HK$20,000,000 – 30,000,000/US$2,600,000 – 3,800,000. Courtesy Sotheby’s.

This monumental bronze sculpture, which can be pinpointed by radiocarbon dating of organic material in its core to a period from the late Yuan to the Hongwu period, is an outstanding legacy of this turbulent age. As the Yuan dynasty crumbled amidst famine, floods and general unrest, there was a belief that the Maitreya Buddha had finally manifested in the world as the successor to Shakyamuni Buddha. In 1351, Zhu Yuanzhang, originally a member of the White Lotus sect, emerged as the leader of ethnic Han Chinese rebelling against the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. In 1368, he proclaimed himself the Hongwu Emperor of the newly established Ming dynasty. Little is recorded from this chaotic period, and so much of what was created must have been destroyed or melted down, but it seems likely that there was a heightened interest in the cult of Maitreya Buddha at this time, reflecting the prevailing belief structures. 

A magnificent gilt-copper figure of Manjushri, Nepal, Malla period, 14th century. Height 29.1cm. Est. HK$15,000,000 – 25,000,000/US$1,900,000 – 3,200,000. Courtesy Sotheby’s.

Originally gifted to the late Canadian Ambassador to India and Nepal, HE Chester A. Ronning by the King of Nepal, HM Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah during his years of service between 1954-1965, this magnificent figure of Manjushri encapsulates the greatest achievements of Nepalese metalwork. This bold, powerful, solidlycast gilt copper figure is a remarkable testament to the skill and craftsmanship of the Newar ateliers of the Kathmandu Valley. The bodhisattva demonstrates classical Newar style with its use of luxuriant gilding and decorative stone and glass lozenge inlay, and exhibits many of the hallmarks of the derigueur Nepalese style with low hairline and broad forehead; wide almond-shaped eyes; the elegant facial profile with curved nose; the rectangular turquoise-inlaid urna; powerful shoulders; dynamic movement and posture; and elaborate beaded jewellery and tassels.