A BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI, SWAT VALLEY, 8TH-9TH CENTURYScientific Analysis Report: A thermoluminescence analysis report issued by Oxford Authentication on 31 March 2021, based on sample number N121c25, sets the firing date of one sample taken at between 800 and 1200 years ago, consistent with the suggested period of manufacture (8th-9th century). A copy of the report, signed by Helen Mason and Doreen Stoneham for Oxford Authentication, accompanies this lot.Seated on a cushion over an elaborate lotus throne with lions on either side and supported on a rectangular plinth, his right hand lowered in abhaya mudra and his left holding the hem of his sanghati falling over the chest in finely incised rhythmic folds. His serene face with silver-inlaid eyes and urna, deeply incised brows, and full lips forming a calm smile, flanked by long pendulous earlobes, the hair in tight curls over the ushnisha.Provenance: A private collection in Hong Kong. German trade, acquired from the above.Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, some losses, obvious signs of weathering and erosion, soil encrustations, small nicks and dents, light scratches. Superb, naturally grown malachite and cuprite patina overall.Weight: 1,894 g (incl. backplate) and 1,280 g (excl. backplate) Dimensions: Height 25 cm (incl. backplate) and 22 cm (excl. backplate)Few Swat bronzes are known that retain a complete backplate as in the present example. It is separately cast and inserted into a loop on the throne and a tang issuing from Buddha's back. The flaming mandala is topped with a stupa and flanked by female bodhisattvas standing on lotus bases below seated male bodhisattvas.According to Pal, placing Buddha on a throne like on the present lot associates him with royal imagery and emphasizes his spiritual sovereignty, while the lotus base symbolizes his divine quality (see Pal, Indian Sculpture, Vol.2, 1988, pp.68-9). His enlightened nature is further signaled by the silver-inlaid eyes and urna. Gently looking down with a compassionate expression, he extends his right hand in the gesture of charity. With his left, he holds the hem of his robe. The iconography of Shakyamuni holding his garment is widely employed in seated Swat figures, extending the idiom from earlier Gandharan stone images.The Swat Valley is located along the upper stream of the Indus in the heartland of the Gandhara region. It was a melting pot of various people and arts and served as a link between India and Central Asia and further eastwards for a constant flow of Buddhist pilgrims. The earlier Gandhara style is still echoed in the art of many icons of the Swat Valley, as visible in the present example. The Buddha's parallel folds as well as the protuberance on top of his head, can be traced back to Gandhara Buddha figures. However, the V-shaped pleats around his neck are associated with Kashmiri prototypes, as is the use of silver inlay. His face reflects a Gupta idiom, with its small mouth and incised eyebrows. The lotus base on which he sits is typical for Swat Valley images. Thus, this fine bronze Buddha figure perfectly embodies the aforementioned melting pot of various styles.Literature comparison: Compare a closely related Swat Valley bronze Buddha, with a similar base and hand gesture, dated 625-1003, in the National Museum of Pakistan, Karachi, recorded in the Huntington Archive, scan number 9602. Compare a related Swat Valley bronze Buddha, dated circa 7th-8th century, in the National Museum of Pakistan, Karachi, recorded in the Huntington Archive, scan number 9600. Compare the throne, gestures, and the robe's evenly arranged narrow folds with that of a closely related example published in von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Vol. I, 2001, pp. 40-1, figs. 6A-C. Also see Pal, Bronzes of Kashmir, 1975, pp. 194-5, no. 73. For a fragment of a backplate from the Eilenberg Collection, see M. Lerner and S. Kossak, The Lotus Transcendent, 1991, cat. no. 86, p. 116. Furthermore, compare with lots 29 and 78 in Imprints of Buddhas, Buddhist Art in the National Palace Museum Collection. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 21 September 2007, lot 230 Price: USD 115,000 or approx. EUR 160,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A rare bronze figure of Buddha Shakyamuni with backplate, Swat Valley, 7th/8th century Expert remark: Compare the closely related pose, expression, patina, the abhaya mudra of the lowered right hand, the elaborate throne and base, and the backplate with attendant figures and central stupa. Note the smaller size (20.3 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 2 December 2021, lot 1007 Price: HKD 377,500 or approx. EUR 47,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A silver inlaid copper alloy figure of Shakyamuni, Swat Valley, 8th/9th century Expert remark: Compare the related pose, expression, silver inlaid eyes and urna, hand gestures, and throne. Note the smaller size (18 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Closely Related Auction: Bonhams Paris, 14 June 2022, lot 18 Price: EUR 75,975 Description: Statuette de Bouddha en Alliage de Cuivre Incruste D'argent, Vallee De Swat, VII Siecle Expert remark: Compare the related pose, expression, and silver inlays. Note the significantly smaller size (10.5 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christies New York, 15 March 2016, lot 44 Price: USD 173,000 or approx. EUR 201,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A Silver-Inlaid Bronze Figure of Buddha Shakyamuni, Swat Valley, 7th Century Expert remark: Compare the related pose, expression, and silver inlays. Note the significantly smaller size (13.5 cm).Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's New York, 19 March 2014, lot 1040Price: USD 209,000 or approx. EUR 246,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A bronze figure of Buddha, Kashmir, 7th CenturyExpert remark: Compare the closely related cast, posture, throne, and silver inlaid eyes八至九世紀斯瓦特谷釋迦牟尼銅像科學檢測報告：隨附牛津檢測所2021年3月31日由Doreen Stoneham出具的熱釋光檢測報告複印本，樣本號N121c25，結果為該造像為800至1200年前製作，符合推測的八至九世紀。 品相：狀態極好，大量磨損，一些缺損，明顯的風化和侵蝕跡象，土壤結垢，小刻痕和凹痕，輕微劃痕。包漿自然。
