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Lot 45
A Japanese bronze vase, decorated in relief with a chimpanzee and butterfly. Height 24.5 cm. CONDITION REPORT: The vase is structurally sound with no evidence of any significant damage, no repairs and no restoration. There are some minor nibbles to the top rim. The vase itself does not appear to have any significant dents but has lost much of its original surface finish. The base again has minor nibbles around the extremities but no major issues. We do not believe that there is a signature.
Lot 1075
A collection of UK & International coins comprising of Three ancient 1 century AD Chinese Oriental Wang Mang The Usurper (Interregnum) AD 7 - 22 coins. Largest 27mm, four Roman Imperial coins from the reign of Domitian comprising of a copper As x3 together with a brass Sestertius, A collection of eight ancient Roman Imperial coins from the reign of Marcus Aurelius comprising of a brass Dupondius x 2 Sestertius x 5 together with another Aurelian bronze coin together with a large collection of 19th century and later coins comprising of a 1999 £5 millenium crown, 1960 crown, 1984 St Helena 50p, Isle of Man 1997, 1981 crown, 1981 twenty five pence, Churchill crown, 1977 crown, Great Exhibition 1851 crown, 1983 Falkland Island crown, 1953 crown. 32 in total.
Lot 18
STATUETTE DE BOUDDHA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE INCRUSTÉ D'ARGENTVALLÉE DE SWAT, VIIE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4833 10.5 cm (4 1/8 in.) highFootnotes:A SILVER INLAID COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF BUDDHA SWAT VALLEY, 7TH CENTURY 斯瓦特 七世紀 銅錯銀佛陀像 Published: Arman Neven, Sculpture des Indes, Brussels, 1978, p. 72, no. 30. Ulrich von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1981, p.70, pl. 3E. Jan van Alphen, Cast for Eternity, Antwerp, 2003, pp. 70-1, no. 14. Exhibited: Sculpture des Indes, Société Générale de Banque, Brussels, 8 December 1978 - 31 January 1979.Cast for Eternity, Antwerp Ethnographic Museum, Belgium, 12 April 2005 - 26 June 2005. Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s The bronze-caster has skillfully conveyed the Buddha's enlightened consciousness with a compassionate expression illumined by silver-inlaid eyes and urna. The iconography of the Seated Buddha raising his right hand in the gesture of reassurance (abhaya mudra) is rather unusual for sculptures of the Swat Valley, most of which depict him extending his right hand in the gesture of charity (varada mudra) instead. The iconography derives from earlier Gandharan sculptures (see for example, a 6th-century Gandharan standing Buddha at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1981.188a,b), suggesting that the present work is likely among earlier sculptures created in the Swat Valley around the 7th century. In the 5th century, the Swat Valley, located in the foothills of the Hindu Kush mountains in modern-day Pakistan, served as a refuge for Buddhist practitioners, as Huns raided the monasteries scattered throughout ancient Gandhara's lush plains. Buddhist bronzes from the Swat Valley therefore constitute an important artistic and religious link between the former civilization of Gandhara, the Gupta period of Northern India, and the rising states of Kashmir, Gilgit, and Western Tibet. Here, the pronounced parallel folds of Buddha's robe are clearly inspired by the Gandharan style, which was in turn influenced by Hellenistic traditions. On the other hand, his pronounced eyes, fleshy cheeks, incised long eyebrows, and small hair curls are all congruent with the Gupta idiom. While, the thick, V-shaped pleats around his neck are commonly seen in later Kashmiri bronzes. Several stylistic features of the present sculpture are consistent with other early Swat Valley images attributed to the 7th century. The treatment of Buddha's robe, using parallel folds to emphasize volume while revealing supple musculature around the chest, is closely related to two other 7th-century bronzes – one formerly in the Lahiri Collection (Christie's, New York, 14 March 2016, lot 44), the other in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Pal, Bronzes of Kashmir, 1975, pp. 88-9, no. 20). The three bronzes also share the same facial and lotus petal types. The distinctive, tightly-waisted lotus base, with artichoke-shaped petals covering the lower half and a plain, conical upper half, compares closely to another Swat Buddha at the Harvard Art Museums (1989.57). Also see other Swat bronzes made during the 7th-8th centuries published in von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Vol. 1, 2001, pp. 32-3, nos. 2A-E.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 19
STATUE DE MAITREYA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVREVALLÉE DE SWAT, CIRCA VIIE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4861 19.8 cm (7 3/4 in.) high Footnotes:A COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF MAITREYA SWAT VALLEY, CIRCA 7TH CENTURY 斯瓦特 約七世紀 彌勒菩薩銅像 Published: Arman Neven, Sculpture de Indes, Brussels, 1978, p. 73, no. 31. Ulrich von Schroder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1981, p. 92, no. 10A. Jan van Alphen, Cast for Eternity, Antwerp, 2003, p. 73, no. 15. Exhibited: Sculpture des Indes, Société Générale de Banque, Brussels, 8 December 1978 - 31 January 1979. Cast for Eternity, Antwerp Ethnographic Museum, Belgium, 12 April 2005 - 26 June 2005. Provenance: With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s One of Claude de Marteau's prized possessions for over forty years, this important and handsome Maitreya figure exhibits some of the finer characteristics of sculpture from the Swat Valley, inviting comparison with a well-known and highly regarded Maitreya in the British Museum (Pal, Bronzes of Kashmir, 1975, pp. 200-1; von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981, no. 11D). Both figures sit regally on a lion throne, holding an emblematic flask (kamandalu) between long, delicate fingers. The confidence and skill of the creator of the present sculpture are clear from the inherent vitality possessed by the youthful figure, whose torso is muscular and supple, as sumptuous as the lotus base's swollen petals. The verdant valley of Swat, located in modern-day Pakistan, fell within the cultural boundaries of Ancient Gandhara's Buddhist civilization. Hundreds of monastic sites were established in Swat before the 2nd century CE. Secluded within the lush foothills of the Hindu Kush mountains, Swat later served as a crucial bastion for Buddhism as political and economic stability diminished in Gandhara Proper due to the dissolution of the Kushan Empire and recurring Hun raids. As a result, a small but exciting school of Buddhist sculpture flourished in Swat between the 6th and 10th centuries, incorporating artistic elements from the various empires that controlled portions of the broader region over time. The intriguing cosmopolitan aesthetic of Swat bronzes is reflected in this Maitreya. While much of the Gandharan taste for Greco-Roman realism is lost, the long hair, commanding posture, and pleated vestiture still arguably harken back to some of Gandharan art's key idioms. Meanwhile, the Swat craftsman responsible for this bronze probably drew extensively from the art of the Gupta period (4th-6th century), considered the Golden Age of Indian art, which here informed the fleshy physiognomy, large-beaded necklace, bare chest, floral-medallion armbands, slender waist, lightweight lower garment, and broad unfurling lotus petals. These features are represented in Gupta sandstone sculptures of Avalokiteshvara in the National Museum, New Delhi (Pal, The Ideal Image, 1978, p. 20, fig. 4), and Vishnu in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (17.1015). Remarkably, the origins of the strips of cloth hanging from his crown behind the ears can be traced to the Sasanian Empire (3rd-7th century; see Pal, The Ideal Image, 1978, p. 117).For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 30
STATUE DE KAPALADHARA HEVAJRA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVREINDE DU NORD-EST, PÉRIODE PALA, XIIE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4803 14.7 cm (5 3/4 in.) highFootnotes:A COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF KAPALADHARA HEVAJRA NORTHEASTERN INDIA, PALA PERIOD, 12TH CENTURY 印度東北部 帕拉時期 十二世紀 喜金剛銅像 Published: Jan van Alphen, Cast for Eternity, Antwerp, 2003, p. 85, no. 20. Exhibited: Cast for Eternity, Antwerp Ethnographic Museum, Belgium, 12 April 2005 - 26 June 2005. Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970sThis intimate casting of one of Tantric Buddhism's foremost meditational deities (yidams) depicts the 'Mother-Father' (yab-yum) union of Hevajra and Nairatmya, embraced in an interpenetrative cosmic dance. This sixteen-armed form known as Kapaladhara Hevajra, shows Hevajra holding an array of skull cups, with eight containing animals representing the Eight Diseases, and the other eight containing deities representing the corresponding cures. His consort, Nairatmya, is a tantric manifestation of Prajnaparamita, the mother of all Buddhas. Together they dance in unison, vanquishing disease and ignorance underfoot, and bestowing health and good fortune on the practitioner. Created during the late Pala period (11th-12th centuries) in Northeastern India, the birthplace of Tantric Buddhism, this sculpture is among the earlier surviving representations of Kapaladhara Hevajra in bronze. Since most Pala sculptures that remained in India were lost or buried during the Muslim invasions of the early 13th century, the present work's un-encrusted surface and buttery patina almost certainly indicate that it was brought to Tibet soon after its creation, during a period known for Tibet's apprenticeship of Indian Buddhism. The application of cold gold, red, black, and white pigments to the deities' faces and hair was also ritually performed in Tibet. The refined details and sensuous modeling are typical of high-quality bronzes from the late Pala period, achieving the impressive complexity of a multiarmed, multiheaded, and multifigured arrangement within a single casting. Each of Hevajra's eight faces is afforded crisp, handsome features, with six behind the main face surveying different directions, and an additional face emerging from his flaming hair just under the visvavajra finial. The thick, red pigments applied to his chignon are partially lost, especially on the raised edges, revealing the meticulous depiction of his hair underneath. Another superb, closely related example of this rare subject surviving from the Pala period is preserved in the Potala Palace, Lhasa, and published in von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Vol. I, 2001, p. 303, nos. 102D-E.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 32
STATUE DE MANJUSHRI EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉKHASA MALLA, XIVE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4835 18 cm (7 1/8 in.) high Footnotes:A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF MANJUSHRI KHASA MALLA, 14TH CENTURY 卡薩馬拉 十四世紀 銅鎏金文殊菩薩像Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970sThis richly gilded bronze represents Manjushri, whose interlocking fingers forward the wheel of the Dharma (dharmachakrapravartana mudra). In turn, he gives rise to his sutra and sword attributes, which are supported by a pair of sinuous lotus flowers. Seated in a relaxed state of meditation, the Bodhisattva of Perfected Wisdom gently sways his torso and tilts his head with eyes half-shut. Black and red pigments applied to his eyes and lips through a ritual beautification practice contrast exceptionally well with his warm, golden complexion. Stylistically, the delineation of Manjushri's finger joints suggest that this gilt bronze originated from the Khasa Mallas, whose kingdom was located near the artistic centers of Pala India, West Tibet, and the Kathmandu Valley (see Alsop, 'The Metal Sculpture of the Khasa Malla Kingdom' in Singer & Denwood (eds.), Tibetan Art, Towards a Definition of Style, London, 1997, pp. 68-79). In this instance, the Khasa Mallas' contact with artists of the Kathmandu Valley is most evident from the image's wide forehead, powerful upper body, and a dhoti incised with leaf and rice-grain decorations. This remarkable figure compares favorably to two Nepalese bronzes of Manjushri sold at Bonhams, New York, 23 September 2020, lots 613 and 615, of which the latter example shares the present piece's facial features and muscular proportions. Beneath the legs, the placement of a sash that has been cast on the base rather than on the figure itself is a strong diagnostic characteristic of the Khasa Malla style, which can also be seen on an image of Bhaishajyaguru sold at Sotheby's, Paris, 23 June 2016, lot 137, and an image of Shadakshari Lokeshvara sold at Bonhams, New York, 23 July 2020, lot 848.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 33
STATUE DE BOUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉKHASA MALLA, XIII/XIVE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4855 31.5 cm (12 3/8 in.) high Footnotes:A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA KHASA MALLA, 13TH/14TH CENTURY 卡薩馬拉 十三/十四世紀 銅鎏金釋迦牟尼像Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s This grand image of the Buddha is one of only a handful of large bronzes attributed to the Khasa Malla kingdom, whose territory comprised parts of Western Nepal and Tibet between the 12th and 14th centuries. The juxtaposition of this Buddha's warm, quiet demeanor and his formidable, robust physique strikes an accomplished balance conveying benign yet supreme authority. Although the mysterious kingdom of the Khasa Mallas was known to Western scholars from epigraphical sources by the 1950s, it was Ian Alsop's pioneering research on a peculiar gilt-bronze female figure in the National Museum of Asian Art, Washington D.C. (1986.23M) that spurred awareness of the Khasa Mallas' visual culture (Alsop, 'The Metal Sculpture of the Khasa Malla Kingdom' in Singer & Denwood (eds.), Tibetan Art, Towards a Definition of Style, 1997, pp. 68-79). Subsequently, a growing number of objects have been assigned to their avid promotion of Buddhism, whose aesthetic was informed by prevalent styles circulating in neighboring kingdoms and the lands the Khasa Mallas controlled or raided. For example, numerous features of the present sculpture show clear borrowings from the Malla kingdom, centered in the Kathmandu Valley, including the thick beading running along the robe's 'rice-grain' hemline, the floral medallions tucked behind the Buddha's ears, his beaked nose, and the fishtail sash draped over his left shoulder. Compare these features with three Malla Buddha sculptures sold at Sotheby's, New York, 25 March 1999, lot 39; Sotheby's, New York, 1 April 2005, lot 52; and Christies, New York, 13 September 2017, lot 620. Chief among the diagnostic traits that can identify a work from the Khasa Malla kingdom is the representation of the joints of each finger, displayed in this Shakyamuni's right hand, lowered in the gesture of 'calling the Earth to witness' (bhumisparsha mudra). The 'rice-grain' pattern, an inlaid turquoise urna in the shape of a teardrop, and the manner in which his eyebrows terminate at the nasal bridge are other features found among Khasa Malla sculptures. All are shared by a Buddha of similar scale in the Rubin Museum of Art (C2006.24.1), and two other large Khasa Malla Buddhas sold at Bonhams, Hong Kong, 2 December 2020, lot 1010, and Bonhams, New York, 19 March 2018, lot 3019.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 34
STATUETTE DE BOUDDHA EN LAITONTIBET, XIIIE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4844 11.8 cm (4 5/8 in.) high Footnotes:A BRASS FIGURE OF BUDDHA TIBET, 13TH CENTURY西藏 十三世紀 佛陀銅像 Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970sJudging by this figure's serene presence, the sculptor envisioned the historical Buddha's moment of enlightenment as one of quiet realization. Many of the bronze's visual traits, such as the facial features, snail-shell curls, close-fitting monastic robe, and satisfyingly plump lotus petals are borrowed from the Pala Indian tradition, prevalent when the casting of Buddhist bronzes began to proliferate in Tibet. Compare to other early Tibetan bronze Buddha images now in the Museum Rietberg, Zurich (von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981, p. 179, no. 33F); in the Pelkor Chode, Gyantse (von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Vol. II, 2001, p. 1191, nos. 322E-F); and one with a corresponding lotus base, recently sold at Nagel Auktionen, Stuttgart, 30 October 2015, lot 297.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 35
STATUE DE VAJRASATTVA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRETIBET OCCIDENTAL, XIII/XIVE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4860 23.2 cm (9 1/8 in.) high Footnotes:A COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF VAJRASATTVA WEST TIBET, 13TH/14TH CENTURY 藏西 十三/十四世紀 金剛薩埵銅像Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970sThe bronze depicts Vajrasattva with his most popular iconography, seated while holding a vajra before his chest and a bell by his left hip. As the Primordial Buddha, Vajrasattva represents the essence of the Buddhahood and is frequently invoked for a rite of purification before undertaking most Tibetan Buddhist tantric instruction. The broad, flat shape of the lotus petals around the base, and the way in which the scarf framing the figure is cast with supporting rods, indicates this image was cast in West Tibet within the 13th or 14th century. For comparison, see a Ratnasambhava in the Zimmerman Collection, published in von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981, p. 180, no. 34A, and a standing Avalokiteshvara with similarly prominent fanning crown ribbons behind the temples in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2003.339).For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 36
STATUE DE VAJRAPANI EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRETIBET, XII/XIIIE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4832 20.6 cm (8 1/8 in.) high Footnotes:A COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF VAJRAPANI TIBET, 12TH/13TH CENTURY 西藏 十二/十三世紀 金剛手菩薩銅像 Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s This early Tibetan bronze offers a spirited depiction of Buddhism's primary protector deity, Canda Vajrapani (lit. 'fierce thunderbolt-wielder'). His large belly and disproportionate head convey a dwarfish appearance that betrays Vajrapani's ancestry as a yaksha in Indian Buddhism. (In the Sadhanamala, an important Vajrayana treatise on iconography composed between the 5th and 11th centuries, Vajrapani is referred to as a yaksha-general.) With snakes underfoot and left leg fully cocked, he leans on his right knee in 'warrior pose' (pratyalidha), while brandishing a nine-pronged vajra and displaying the gesture of expelling harmful phenomena with his left hand (karana mudra). His bulging eyes stare intently as he snarls. Heightened by the contrasting orange and cold gold paint, his expression bears a ferocity dispelling any doubt that he would not subdue whatever threatened the Buddhist follower. The orange pigment, along with the flame-like serrated edge of the oval mandorla behind him, allude to fire's symbolic power to consume and transform, like Vajrapani's capacity to purify negative ailments obstructing the practitioner. Inspired by the many portable bronzes that Tibetan pilgrims brought from Northeastern India, this sculpture represents an early Tibetan image drawing heavily on the models of the Pala style of the 12th century. Examples of such Pala bronzes preserved in Lhasa monasteries are published in von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Vol. I, 2001, pp. 302-3, nos. 102A & C. Compared with later Tibetan bronzes, the present figure exhibits a restraint of ornamentation that was informed by an Indian emphasis on the beauty, strength, and power of the relatively unclad divine body. This connection is also evident in the broad, flattened lotus petals around the base. Two early Tibetan bronzes of Acala also preserved in Lhasa monasteries form good points of comparison for the present bronze (ibid., Vol. II, p. 1113, nos. 291B-D).For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 39
STATUE DE MANJUSHRI EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉNÉPAL, FIN DE LA PÉRIODE MALLA, XV/XVIE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4863 16.4 cm (6 1/2 in.) highFootnotes:A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF MANJUSHRINEPAL, LATE MALLA PERIOD, 15TH/16TH CENTURY尼泊爾 馬拉王朝晚期 十五/十六世紀 銅鎏金文殊菩薩像 Published:Arman Neven, Le tantrisme dans l'art et la pensee, 1974, no. 384. Exhibited:Le tantrisme dans l'art et la pensee, Palais de Beaux-Arts, Bruxelles, 7 March - 10 April 1974.Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970sThis tranquil four-armed figure of Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, wields a bow and arrow, a sword and a teaching. While ritual supplication and ablutions have worn away some of the gilding on the cheeks and forehead, the bodhisattva's crisp, handsome features are well preserved. Related bronze sculptures of Manjushri from Nepal's Late Malla period include an example in the Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena (Pal, Asian Art At the Norton Simon Museum, vol. II, 2003, pp. 96, no. 62), and two sold at Sotheby's, New York, 20 March 2013: one which shares a similar expression (lot 203), and another with a similarly pointed aureole (lot 208). Also, compare a bronze in the Denver Art Museum (von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981, p. 377, no. 100F).For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 4
STATUETTE DE RISHABHANATHA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉINDE DU SUD, CIRCA IXE SIÈCLE7 cm (2 3/4 in.) high Footnotes:A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF RISHABHANATHA SOUTH INDIA, CIRCA 9TH CENTURY印度南部 約九世紀 銅鎏金勒舍婆那陀像 Provenance: With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s This charming little bronze depicting Rishabhanatha commands a much larger presence. Rishabhanatha was the first of twenty-four great teachers within the Jain religion known as Tirthankaras, reputed to have lived millions of years ago. He is also one of the five most popularly worshipped Tirthankaras. With an alert gaze, he is seated in meditation, his shoulders drawn forward, allowing the arms to be secured well into the lap, with the right hand placed on the left palm, thumbs nearly touching. His torso is well-defined and 'sky-clad' (naked), according to the Digambara Jain sect. A small cranial protuberance (ushnisha) surmounts his head, a feature that is occasionally represented in Jain figures. The back is cast as beautifully as the front, showing the long tresses that identify Rishabhanatha flowing past his shoulders. While having no immediate published comparison, this enigmatic gilded figure almost certainly belongs to the small corpus of Jain bronzes from Karnataka or Tamil Nadu in South India, where Jainism experienced a revival in the 8th and 9th centuries. Most indicative of this, he is shown seated with one leg folded over the other in the Southern depiction of the meditation pose, as opposed to the North's 'double lotus' position. Secondly, the Digambara sect to which this bronze pertains was most prominent in South India at the time. A c.9th-century bronze Rishabhanatha from Karnataka, formerly in the collection of Siddharth K. Bhansali was sold at Bonhams, New York, 16 March 2021, lot 333. The present sculpture's peculiar triangular base suggests the Jina may have once sat within a yantra or mandala, or belonged to a Sarvatobhadra shrine composed of Tirthankaras arranged in pyramidal tiers, such as a late Chalukya example from the 12th-13th century published in Sivaramamurti (ed.), Panorama of Jain Art, 1983, p. 246, no. 352.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
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