Over the past Asia Week New York in March, Sotheby's presented two Ming dynasty imperial Buddhist sculptures as headliners: a Xuande reign-marked statue of Panjarnata Mahakala and a tantric figure of Hevajra with his consort.
Initially estimated at US$3 and 4 million, respectively, the two gilt-bronze sculptures stand out for their exceptional size, downplaying all early Ming sculptures of the same theme. The figure of Panjarnata Mahakala, in particular, is by far the largest early Ming reign-marked bronze in private hands. Despite heavy anticipation, the sale was unexpectedly called off without prior notice, surprising many.
Moving into the autumn season, Sotheby's arranged for them to be auctioned in Hong Kong instead. Offered as part of the Chinese Art Sale on 26 November, the sculptures became the auction's top two highest-selling lots, fetching HK$40.8 million (US$5.2 million) and HK$26.4 million (US$3.4 million) respectively.
Both figures were snapped up by the same telephone bidder with paddle number 176, who was represented by Yonnie Fu, Executive Assistant of Jen Hua, Deputy Chairman of Sotheby’s Asia.
Yonnie Fu, Executive Assistant of Jen Hua, Deputy Chairman of Sotheby’s Asia won the two imperial Ming Dynasty sculptures for her client with paddle number 176
Lot 3815 | A monumental gilt-bronze figure of Panjarnata Mahakala
Mark and period of Xuande
Height: 72.5 cm
Provenance:
- Christie's London, 19th June 1973, lot 148
- Christie's London, 13th June 1979, lot 61
- A European private collection
- Gifted to the Bodhimanda Foundation, The Netherlands, 2011
Estimate: HK$15,000,000 - 20,000,000
Hammer Price: HK$34,000,000
Sold: HK$40,800,000
Lot 3816 | A monumental gilt-bronze figure of Kapaladhara Hevajra
Early Ming dynasty
Overall height: 67.5 cm
Provenance:
- Collection of Eduardo Lingero, Brussels, until March 1979
- A European private collection
- Gifted to the Bodhimanda Foundation, The Netherlands, 2011
Estimate: HK$12,000,000 - 15,000,000
Hammer Price: HK$22,000,000
Sold: HK$26,400,000
Undoubtedly masterworks by any standards applied, these two museum-quality figures had been displayed together at Wereldmuseum Rotterdam for a decade before being released to the market by the Bodhimanda Foundation in Dutch, which manages an exceptional collection of Buddhist art but has long kept a low profile.
Its art collection was amassed by a Dutch family starting in the 1950s, driven by a particular interest in Eastern religions, with a strong focus on Tibetan and Buddhist-related items. Its name, Bodhimanda, means "the place of enlightenment," and it aims to spread knowledge about the material and immaterial culture of Tantric Buddhism.
As the saying goes, "Still waters run deep." This private collection has remained discreet for half a century, quietly nurturing and expanding its treasures until the early 21st century, when it was unveiled at the Wereldmuseum Rotterdam and stunned the art world.
Many of the foundation's collections have been on long-term loan to renowned museums worldwide. An imperial reign-marked gilt-bronze ritual butter lamp from the early Ming dynasty, for instance, was exhibited and later sold for £1.32 million at Bonhams London in 2018.
The collection of Bodhimanda Foundation is displayed at the Wereldmuseum Rotterdam in the Netherlands; the imperial gilt-bronze ritual butter lamp from the early Ming dynasty sold for £1.32 million at Bonhams London in 2018
The artistic style of Buddhist art from the Yongle (r. 1402-1424) and Xuande (r. 1425-1435) periods of the Ming dynasty can be traced back to the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty (1271-1368) when Tibetan Buddhism was respected as the state religion, partly due to the royal family's religious belief, and partly to foster national unity.
During the reign of Kublai Khan, Chogyal Phagpa – an influential Tibetan monk of the Sakya sect and the first national preceptor of the Mongol Yuan Empire – brought the young and talented Newar artist Anige to the imperial court in Beijing.
Already an accomplished artist, Anige quickly gained fame in China and was named director of all artisan classes and controller of imperial manufactories. His involvement in artistic projects heralded a new era of religious art in China, blending Chinese artistic traditions and Indo-Himalayan imagery, catalyzing the development of a Nepalo-Chinese style.
With war ravaging China towards the end of the Yuan dynasty, the following decades saw the wane of Tibetan influence, and it was early in the 15th century that Tibetan Buddhism revived at the imperial court of the Ming dynasty.
Close-up of the gilt-bronze figure of Kapaladhara Hevajra
Both the Xuande emperor and his grandfather, the Yongle emperor, were devout followers of Tibetan Buddhism. During their reigns, the imperial court looked favorably upon Buddhism for political legitimacy and made concerted efforts to build secular and religious alliances with Tibet, even inviting Tibetan monks to the palace to conduct religious services.
Such Tibetan influence manifests itself in the sensuousness of the art, as witnessed in the present two figures' lush gilding and elegant proportions, the waist well-defined, shoulders broad, and muscles puffy and naturalistic.
The rounded, somewhat square face, with sculptural facial features, soft fullness, and a benevolent countenance, derives from Chinese traditions. The luxurious jewellery is meticulously rendered in delicate beaded carvings, replacing the semi-precious stone inlay often seen in Tibetan figures.
Close-up of the gilt-bronze figure of Kapaladhara Hevajra
The Yongle emperor would welcome Tibetan hierarchs with great ceremony, granting them Buddhist-inflected aristocratic titles and seals of authority, and showering them with gifts.
The majority of these were small and easily transportable Buddhist bronzes produced following a distinctive and highly refined imperial style, while large sculptures, such as the present figure of Kapaladhara Hevajra, were mostly sent to monasteries in Tibet.
The subsequent Xuande emperor, on the other hand, curtailed patronage of Tibetan monasteries and rarely lavished gifts on them. As a result, much fewer Tibeto-Chinese Buddhist sculptures were produced during his reign – and these were generally intended for worship within China.
A typical example of Xuande imperial Buddhist sculpture, the present large gilt-bronze figure of Panjarnata Mahakala is by far the largest early Ming reign-marked bronze in private hands. It measures 74 cm high and is outranked only by two Yongle bodhisattvas, one at the Qinghai Provincial Museum (154 cm) and the other at the Cernuschi Museum in Paris (126 cm).
Close-up of the gilt-bronze figure of Panjarnata Mahakala
Close-up of the gilt-bronze figure of Panjarnata Mahakala
Close-up of the gilt-bronze figure of Panjarnata Mahakala
Originating in ancient India, Mahakala was initially a god of wealth, warfare, and household. It was later adopted by Tibetan Buddhism as a wrathful deity and, specifically, the primary Wisdom Protector, destroying bonds that tie people to spiritual ignorance.
His image is manifested in a variety of forms, but he is always depicted as strong and muscular with short thick legs, symbolizing power and stability.
With his fierceness and strength, during the Yuan dynasty Mahakala was revered as the protector of the Mongol Empire and became a focus of the imperial cult. He was credited with intervening in key battles, and temples dedicated to this deity were built throughout the empire.
And the form of Panjarnata Mahakala, or the Lord of the Pavillion, the fierce protector deity of the Hevajra cycle of Tantras, is believed by some scholars to originate from the belief that he also served as a special protector of the Tibetan and Mongolian who lived in tents.
Close-up of the gilt-bronze figure of Panjarnata Mahakala
The back of the gilt-bronze figure of Panjarnata Mahakala
Close-up of the base of the gilt-bronze figure of Panjarnata Mahakala
Close-up of the base of the gilt-bronze figure of Panjarnata Mahakala
Here, the figure depicts Panjarnata Mahakala with a ferocious expression on his bearded face, lips parted showing teeth and fangs. His three bulging eyes are symbols of seeing the past, present, and future; or the manifestation of the three bodies of the Buddha.
He wears a crown of five human skulls, which represents the transmutation of the five kleśās (negative afflictions) into the five wisdom.
Standing in a militant posture with legs bent at the knee, he tramples a corpse – a symbol of all impediments to enlightenment. His hands are raised to hold a skull bowl on the left and a flaying knife on the right, but both are now missing.
Extremely finely cast, this figure must have been a highly important imperial commission, as supported by its exceptional size and the quality of the details fully in the round – from the ornamentations and clothing, to the bottom which even depicts his sex organ and the meticulous casting of the corpse he tramples on.
Close-up of the gilt-bronze figure of Kapaladhara Hevajra
Close-up of the gilt-bronze figure of Kapaladhara Hevajra
Closely intertwined with Mahakala in Tibetan Buddhism – whose most commonly cited early textual source is the Hevajra Tantra – Hevajra is the tantric Buddhist deity who personifies enlightenment and dances vigorously to symbolize the human soul's liberation from the snare of existence.
This dynamic tantric group depicts Hevajra with eight faces, four legs, and sixteen arms. Each of his hands holds a skull bowl, some on the right retaining separately cast animals that represent various illnesses and diseases, including a cat, a lion, and a horse. The bowls of the left hand hold Indian Hindu gods and face outwards representing skills, powers, and abilities.
Close-up of the gilt-bronze figure of Kapaladhara Hevajra
The back of the gilt-bronze figure of Kapaladhara Hevajra
With four legs, the two feet of the first pair are placed on the ground, represented by a double lotus base, while the legs of the second, or back pair, are drawn up in a dancing posture.
The consort Vajra Nairatmya has one face and two hands holding a curved knife and skull bowl. Adorned with bone ornaments and a necklace of fifty skulls, she stands with the left leg down and the right raised to embrace Hevajra.
Typically, the embracing couple would be framed by a circle of fire, representing the wisdom of enlightenment.
The base of the gilt-bronze figure of Kapaladhara Hevajra
Measuring 66 cm high, it should have been cast for important monasteries in Han China, as gifts to visiting Tibetan hierarchs were much smaller, usually 20 cm in height.
Comparable examples of these two remarkable imperial Buddhist sculptures could be found across public and private collections, including:
- Musée Cernuschi | Bodhisattva, Yongle-reign marked
- Victoria and Albert Museum | Mahasiddha Virupa, Yongle period
- Taipei Palace Museum | Mahakala, early Ming dynasty
- Formerly in the Gumpel Collection and later sold at Sotheby's New York | Tantric figure of Vajrabhairava and consort, early Ming dynasty
- Formerly in the Gumpel Collection and later sold at Christie's Hong Kong | Tantric figure of Vajrabhairava and consort, early Ming dynasty
Yongle-reign marked Bodhisattva in gilt bronze | The collection of Musée Cernuschi, Asian Arts Museum of Paris
A gilt-bronze figure of Mahakala, early Ming dynasty | The collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei
A tantric gilt-bronze figure of Vajrabhairava and consort, early Ming dynasty | Formerly in the Gumpel Collection and later sold at Sotheby's New York
Other Highlight Lots:
Lot 3855 | A massive and important imperial cinnabar lacquer slip-trailed and gilt-painted ‘dragon’ cabinet
Ming dynasty
256 x 98 x 325 cm
Estimate: HK$8,000,000 - 10,000,000
Hammer Price: HK$6,000,000
Sold: HK$7,200,000
Lot 3848 | A fine and rare blue and white ‘fruit’ bowl
Mark and period of Xuande
29.8 cm
Provenance:
- Acquired by Richard Marchant in England in the 1960s
Estimate: HK$5,000,000 - 10,000,000
Hammer Price: HK$5,900,000
Sold: HK$7,080,000
Lot 3835 | An exceptional and important imperial 'tianzi yihao' 'lianjing' sabre with original 'sharkskin' scabbard
Mark and period of Qianlong, made in the 13th year of Qianlong, corresponding to 1748
92.5 cm
Provenance:
- E & J Frankel, New York, 1990s
- Property of a lady
Estimate: HK$4,000,000 - 8,000,000
Hammer Price: HK$4,800,000
Sold: HK$5,760,000
Lot 3862 | A fine and brilliantly splashed lavender-glazed Junyao narcissus bowl
Early Ming dynasty
Diameter: 20 cm
Provenance:
- Christie's Hong Kong, 25th October 1993, lot 705
- Sotheby's New York, 18th March 2008, lot 100
- Property of a lady
Estimate: HK$3,000,000 - 5,000,000
Hammer Price: HK$4,000,000
Sold: HK$4,800,000
Auction Details:
Auction House: Sotheby's Hong Kong
Sale: Chinese Art
Date: 26 November 2024
Number of Lots: 121
Sold: 78
Unsold: 43
Sale Rate: 64.4%
Sale Total: HK$153,054,000