TWO-DAY AUCTION - Fine Chinese Art / 中 國藝術集珍 / Buddhism & Hinduism (CA0321) Sat, 6th Mar 2021 Lot 514

Starting price: €1000 Estimate: €2000 AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE ‘DIAMOND REALM’ BUDDHA VAIROCANA BRONZE, MING DYNASTY 明代罕 見金剛界大日如來銅像 China, 15th century. Cast seated in dhyanasana on an unsealed double-lotus base with the hands in dharmachakra mudra holding a Diamond Realm Mandala, a symbol for the metaphysical space inhabited by the Five Tathagatas. The Diamond Realm Mandala is based on an esoteric Buddhist sutra called the Vajrasekhara Sutra.

Provenance: Hungarian private collection. Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and casting flaws, occasional light scratches, few minuscule nicks.

Weight: 2,363 g Dimensions: Height 25.6 cm

The hair in tight, pointed knots around an ushnisha and framing the face in a broad, bowed outline, the pendulous earlobes pierced through, the brows arching down to meet the bridge of the nose between downcast, half-closed eyes and above small, full lips. The robes draped in cascading folds over the body, terminating in neat pleats about the legs, the hems neatly incised with floral scrolls. The figure entirely covered in a dark, near-black patina and with traces of gilding remaining.

The statue is inscribed to the back, ‘Da Xia Biao’.

Apart from being the tutelary deity of the Diamond Realm (Vajradhatu) in Tantric Buddhism, Vairocana is also the Lord of the Avatamsaka World and an important deity of both exoteric and esoteric Buddhism, noted for his richly varied forms and different gestures.

Auction result comparison: Compare with a very similar but larger dry lacquer figure of Vairocana at Sotheby’s New York in Important Chinese Art on 21 March 2018, lot 571, sold for USD 110,000.

明代罕見金剛界大日如來銅像 中國，十五世紀。大日如來結金剛坐，雙層蓮座未密封，雙手結 説法印握金剛界曼陀羅，是形而上空間的五方佛的象徵。

來源：匈牙利私人收藏 品相：狀況極佳，有輕微磨損和鑄造瑕疵，偶有輕微划痕。

重量：2,363 克 尺寸：高25.6 厘米

銅像背面刻有 ‘大夏彪’字樣。 拍賣結果比較：一件非常相似但尺寸較大的如來銅像，售于紐約 蘇富比Important Chinese Art 拍場2018年3月21日，lot 571, 售 價USD 110,000。