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A UNIQUE MONUMENTAL BRONZE OF SAMANTABHADRA ON HIS ELEPHANT, SOLD AT THE 1901 GLASGOW EXHIBITION
奥地利 北京时间
2021年10月16日 开拍
拍品描述
Description:A UNIQUE MONUMENTAL BRONZE OF SAMANTABHADRA ON HIS ELEPHANT, SOLD AT THE 1901 GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION
17th century. Finely cast in two parts. The bodhisattva conceals a small incense container atop the elephant, as he is seated on his trusted mount with an elaborate saddle blanket issuing from fierce lion heads and neatly incised with three peaches surrounded by lotus scrolls.

Provenance: Glasgow International Exhibition, November 1901. Robert Cowan Marshall, acquired from the above and thence by descent within the same family. A copy of a page of Cowan Marshall's typed and handwritten ledger, including a photograph of the present lot, and stating a purchase price of 18 pounds and 15 shillings, accompanies this lot. Robert Cowan Marshall (d. 1935) was an industrialist in Glasgow, Scotland. He was a passionate horse rider and a major collector of fine art.
Condition: Overall fine condition with old wear and traces of use, some shallow surface scratches, casting flaws, and minor dents overall. Some of the inlaid lapis and agate beads are lost. The statue has a naturally grown, rich patina overall. Please also refer to the below article for further information on condition.

The Samantabhadra Conundrum:
The present lot originally served as an incense burner, most likely in a temple or shrine, but was obviously re-purposed, probably to prepare it for export from China to Japan around 1650, or in Japan at some point during the second half of the 19th century.

The rod attaching the Bodhisattva to the elephant and the connections of the incense container with the body of the elephant have been renewed on both sides. This work, along with some related soldering, was evidentially executed before 1901. Since 1901, the condition of the present lot has not changed, as is clearly documented by the photograph showing it at the Glasgow International Exhibition in 1901.

One possibility is that the re-purposing became necessary to adapt the present lot to the circumstances of the Japanese market shortly before 1650. Note that at this time, China was amidst economic turmoil resulting from the demise of the Ming Dynasty, whereas Neo-Confucianism had just become Japan's dominant philosophy, after the chaos of the Sengoku period. Also, copper mining, essential for the production of bronze statues, was not yet as sophisticated and huge in Japan as half a century later, when it became the chief metal export of the country. So, essentially, shortly before 1650 Buddhist bronzes were scarce in Japan yet abundant in China, exactly at a point in history when Buddhism was on the rise again in Japan and when only China and the Dutch East India Company enjoyed the right to visit the country for commercial purposes.

The entry in the Cowan Marshall ledger describes the present lot as “Old Bronze Okimono. Subject, Buddha returning from the temple on the back of an elephant. Beautifully carved and inlaid. 2 feet 6 inches high. 17th century.” Okimono is a Japanese term meaning "decorative object". Such objects were typically displayed for artistic appreciation in a recessed “tokonoma” space, located in a Japanese-style reception room, or in a Butsudan shrine. The entry in the ledger thus indicates that the present lot was sold to Cowan Marshall in 1901 as a 17th century bronze, once on display in a Japanese alcove or altar. It seems rather unlikely that Cowan Marshall, a seasoned collector, would acquire a modern bronze as a 17th century piece at the Glasgow Exhibition. For this reason, the only other explanation for the re-purposing of the present lot is that it was originally made in Japan as an incense burner (koro) in the late 17th century, when copper was already in abundance. This would also mean that it must have been decommissioned at some point in its history, possibly around the end of the Edo period. However, the usage of the term “Okimono” did most certainly not originate from Cowan Marshal, but rather from the dealer who sold the piece to him. This would indicate that it had not been used as an incense burner for some time, but rather was already acquired as a Buddhist display piece (okimono) by the person who sold it to Cowan Marshall. And as we know, during the 17th century, only few large Buddhist bronzes were actually cast in Japan, whereas others were imported from China.

The bottom line is that the origins of the present lot remain a mystery and further, forensic investigation into the matter is recommended.

Weight: ca. 17.9 kg
Dimensions: Height 76 cm, Length 63 cm

The face with a serene expression, heavy-lidded eyes below gently arched eyebrows centered by an urna and full lips forming a subtle smile. The hair swept up in a high chignon behind a small diadem with lotus finial, several strands of hair elegantly falling over the shoulders. The jewelry and diadem are inlaid with a pearl, glass, lapis, and agate. Samantabhadra's left hand is raised in prana mudra while the right rests on his thigh. The long flowing robes are cascading in voluminous folds and richly adorned in beaded jewelry.

Samantabhadra is the bodhisattva associated with the practice of Buddhist teaching and joins Manjushri, the lord of transcendent wisdom, in a trinity with Shakyamuni Buddha. The deity is known as 'He whose bounty is omnipresent' and represents the Buddhist Law and compassion. The bodhisattva is borne by a white elephant, symbolic of the strength achieved through the practice of Buddhism.

Known as Puxian in Chinese, he is sometimes shown in Chinese art with feminine characteristics, bearing similar dress and features to some depictions of Guanyin. It is in this guise that Samantabhadra is revered as the patron bodhisattva of the monasteries associated with Mount Emei in western China. Some believe that the white elephant mount of Samantabhadra was the same elephant that appeared to Queen Maya, the mother of the Buddha, to herald his birth.

The three peaches amid lotus scroll, as seen on the elephant's saddle blanket, is a decidedly Chinese motif that does only appear anywhere else in exceptional cases. The Jade Emperor and his wife Xi Wangmu (Queen Mother of the West) ensured the deities' everlasting existence by feasting them with the peaches of immortality. The immortals residing in the palace of Xi Wangmu were said to celebrate an extravagant banquet called the 'Feast of Peaches', celebrated on earth in honor of Xi Wangmu's birthday. Statues depicting Xi Wangmu's attendants often held three peaches. Compare a red lacquer saucer dish, also carved with three peaches and lotus with a Jiaqing mark and of the period, at Bonhams London in Fine Chinese Art on 11 November 2010, lot 433, sold for GBP 38,400.

Expert's note: The present lot is unique and quite enigmatic in its presentation, with individual features found in a wide array of comparable examples from China and Tibet, and to a lesser grade in Japan or Korea. Compare a Tibetan gilt bronze with a similar high chignon, at Sotheby's New York, 16 September 2015, lot 473 (fig. 1); a Chinese lacquer-gilt bronze, also dated to the 17th century and with similar beaded jewelry, at Christie's Paris, 8 June 2010, lot 370 (fig. 2); a Sino-Tibetan gilt-bronze figure dated to the 18th century, with a similar saddle blanket, at Christie's Hong Kong, 29 May 2013, lot 2205 (fig. 3); and a Yuan-dynasty bronze with a similar elephant head in the permanent collection of the Oglethorpe University Museum of Art (fig. 4).

Literature comparison: A Song dynasty figure of Samantabhadra in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated as one of a pair, together with the Bodhisattva Manjusri in Zhongguo meishu quanji. Diaosu bian [The complete collection of Chinese art: Sculptures], volume 5, Beijing, 1989, pls 153-154.

Auction result comparison: Compare a related bronze figure of Samantabhadra on an elephant, dated 16th-17th century, at Sotheby's Hong Kong in Important Chinese Art on 3 April 2018, lot 3677, sold for HKD 1,250,000.

獨一無二的普賢騎象銅像,售於1901年蘇格蘭格拉斯哥國際博覽會
十七世紀。銅像分兩部分。普賢坐在象背上。大象背上有一塊坐毯,坐毯獅首纏枝蓮花紋,蓮花中央可見三顆仙桃。

來源:蘇格蘭國際博覽會,1901年11月。Robert Cowan Marshall 購於該屆博覽會,之後在同一家族保存至今。隨附一份 Cowan Marshall 打字和手寫的收藏分類副本,包括一張拍品的照片,並註明了當時的購買價格為 18 英鎊15 先令。 Robert Cowan Marshall(卒於 1935 年)是蘇格蘭格拉斯哥的一位實業家。 他是一位充滿激情的騎士,也是一位重要的藝術收藏家。
品相:整體狀況良好,有磨損和使用痕跡,表面有一些淺劃痕,存在鑄造缺陷,有輕微凹痕。鑲嵌的青金石和瑪瑙珠部分已丟失。造像表面有著自然生長的包漿。 另請參閱以下文章以獲取更多有關品相的信息。

普賢菩薩騎象青銅造像之謎:
這件造像最初應是用作香爐,很可能是在寺廟或神社中使用。但後來顯然找到了新的用途,可能是1650 年前後從中國出口到日本時,或者是十九世紀中葉的某時在日本。

菩薩與象的連接點和香爐部位與象身的連接都已經在兩側進行了更新。這件造像連同一些相關的焊接,顯然是在 1901 年之前完成的。 自 1901 年以來,現在這件造像并沒有經過改造,因爲1901 年格拉斯哥國際博覽會上展示的照片清楚地記錄當時的情況。

有一種可能性是,1650 年前不久,為了適應日本市場的情況,重新調整造像的用途成為必要。那時,中國正經厤著明清朝代更替所帶來的經濟動蕩,而宋明理學在日本戰國時代混亂結束之後日本的主導哲學。 此外,生產青銅造像所必需的銅礦在日本還沒有像半個世紀後那樣龐大並成為日本的主要出口金屬。從本質上講,1650 年前後,正好是佛教青銅器在日本稀缺而在中國異常繁盛。而那時,也正值佛教在日本再次興起且只有中國和荷蘭東印度公司有權進出該國進行貿易的時候。

Cowan Marshall 收藏分類條目將此造像描述為“老青銅置物,主題,佛陀騎著大象從寺廟歸來。雕刻與鑲嵌都很精美。 2 ,6英尺。 十七世紀”。 Okimono 是一個日語中的專有名詞,意思是“裝飾物”。此類物品通常陳列在日式接待室或佛堂內的凹間中以作爲藝術欣賞。因此,收藏分類中表明,該造像於 1901 年作為 十七世紀青銅器出售給 Cowan Marshall,曾在日本壁龕或佛堂中展出。經驗豐富的收藏家Cowan Marshall似乎不太可能在格拉斯哥博覽會上購買一件現代仿造十七世紀的青銅器。因此,這件造像被賦予新用途的唯一解釋是,它是在十七世紀後期在日本改造為香爐的,當時銅已經很豐富了。這也意味著它一定在其歷史上的某個時刻退役,可能是在江戶時代末期。然而,“置物”一詞的使用肯定不是來自 Cowan Marshal,而是來自將這件造像賣給他的經銷商。這表明它已經有一段時間沒有被用作香爐,而是已經被賣給 Cowan Marshall 的人作為佛教供奉品(置物)了。我們知道,在十七世紀,日本實際鑄造的大型佛教青銅造像很少,很多都是從中國進口的。

總而言之,這件造像的起源仍然是個謎,應該進一步對此造像進行追源調查。

重量:約 17.9 公斤
尺寸:高 76 厘米, 長63 厘米

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