A SMALL TIBETAN GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI

A SMALL TIBETAN GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI
18TH CENTURY

Seated in dhyanasana and wearing flowing robes, he holds his left hand in his lap and his right hand in bhumisparsha mudra, his eyes downcast, all raised on a double lotus base incised to the reverse with a Tibetan inscription in two rows, the baseplate lacking, 157g, 8cm.

Provenance: from the collection of Norman Blount, 1875-1930. Norman Blount was a jute broker, as well as the joint secretary (with the artist Abanindranath Tagore) of the Indian Society of Oriental Art, which was founded in 1907 in Calcutta, with Lord Kitchener the Society’s President.

The iconography depicted presents the historical Buddha in the earth-witness gesture. This refers to when Shakyamuni triumphed over the demon Mara, who was attempting to divert him from his objective of becoming enlightened through meditation. When Mara challenged Shakyamuni's right to enlightenment, Shakyamuni moved his hand from his lap to touch the ground with his middle finger, calling the earth to witness his entitlement to spiritual enlightenment. Shakyamuni's unshakable resolve forced Mara and his army of demons to flee; moments later, Shakyamuni attained enlightenment.

十八世紀 銅鎏金釋迦牟尼坐像
來源：諾曼·布朗特（1875-1930）收藏。諾曼布朗特曾是一個黃麻經銷商，與藝術家泰戈爾一起擔任了印度東方藝術協會的聯合秘書（1907年於加爾各答成立），而霍雷肖•赫伯特•基奇納元帥(1850-1916)為協會主席。