Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art

2 P.M., March 14, 2017, 2017

Sale 14483

Lot 233, Lokanatha Avalokiteshvara, black stone, Northeastern India, Pala Period, 12th Century, 58 inches high, left; Leiko Coyle of Christie's, right

By Carter B. Horsley

This auction of Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art at Christie's New York March 14, 2017 is highlighted by an important and imposing large black stone figure from northeastern India of the Lokanatha Avalokiteshvara from Northeastern India, Pala Period, 12th Century.

The lot was exhibited in the stairwell of Christie's during Asia Week.

It has an estimate on request.  It sold for $24,663,500, setting a world record for a South Asian work of art.

In a video at www.christies.com, Asian Art Specialist Leiko Coyle said that when she first saw this "incredible life-size figure of a Buddhist deity" she "gasped," adding that "it is incredibly unusual to find a stone sculpture of this size from this period." Made in the 12th century, the 58-inch-high figure is dated to the late Pala period, named after the sprawling empire that once covered the region that is now West Bengal in India and Bangladesh. The era saw the production of some of the finest sculpture ever made on the subcontinent, which is now highly sought-after by collectors. This seated figure represents the Buddhist deity Lokanatha (Avalokiteshvara), revered as the embodiment of compassion. The equivalent might be Guanyin in China, or even the Virgin Mary in Christianity, although this figure is male," Coyle continued.

Specific features confirm the deity’s identity, according to the website. The specialist cited "the little seated Buddha nestled behind the central point of his crown" and "the lotus blossoming over his left shoulder… a beautiful example in full bloom." The intricate carving extends to the deity’s "extraordinary hair: ‘Each lock is beautifully carved and rounded. They’re almost serpentine."

At the bottom of the sculpture, the feet are "pudgy, plump and delicious," she continued, displaying a youthful quality that was typical of representations of deities from the Himalayas in this period. "Carved in exceptional detail, the black stone - identified as schist - is familiar to the region of West Bengal and Bangladesh and could easily be mistaken for polished onyx or bronze," she added.

The work formed the foundation of one of the first collections of Indian art in America, established at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts in 1922 by the pioneering curator Ananda Coomaraswamy.

Isabel McWilliams of Christie's points to Lot 217, copper-inlaid bronze figure of Kagya Lama, Tibet, 14th Century, 12 inches high

Lot 217 is a copper-inlaid figure of Kagya Lama from Tibet that is dated a 14th Century work.  It is 12 inches high.  It has an estimate of $500,000 to $700,000.  It failed to sell.

Lot 211, 7 gilt-bronze Bardo deities, Tibet, 17th Century.

Lot 211 is a very fine group of 7 lively gilt-bronze Bardo deities from Tibet in the 17th Century.  The lot has a modest estimate of $50,000 to $70,000.  It sold for $118,750.

Lot 220, Figure of a standing Bodhisttva, gilt bronze and repousse, Sino-Tibet or Mongolia, 18th-19th Century, 13 1/4 inches tall

Lot 220 is a nice gilt-bronze and repousse Bodhisttva from the 18th-19th Century.  It is Sino-Tibet or Mongolian and 13 1/4 inches high.  It has an estimate of $8,000 to $12,000.  It sold for $10,625.

Lot 231, Bodhisttva, gilt bronze, Mongolia, Zanabar School, 17th Century, 8 1/2 inches high

Lot 231 is a fine gilt-bronze of Bodhisttva from the Zanabar School in Mongolia.  It is dated 17th Century and is 8 1/2 inches high.  It has an estimate of $100,000 to $150,000.  It sold for $112,500.

Lot 201, gilt bronze figure of an 11-headed Avalokiteshvara, Sino-Tiber, 18th Century, 4 3/4 inches high

Lot 201 is a very fine small gilt bronze figure of an 11-headed Avalokiteshvara from Sino-Tibet, 18th Century.  It is 4 3/4 inches high and has a modest estimate of $7,000 to $9,000.  It sold for $8,750.

Lot 246, Shiva, buff sandstone, Khmer, Angkor Period, Bayon style, 12th-13th Century, 43 3/4 inches tall

Lot 246 is a fine and imposing buff sandstone statue of Shiva from Khmer, Angkor Period, Bayon Style, 12th-13th Century.  It is 43 3/4 inches high.  It has an estimate of $80,000 to $120,000.  It failed to sell.

Lot 236, Padmavati flanked by elephants and lions, white marble, India, Rajasthan or Guarat, 12th Century, 17 1/4 inches long

Lot 236 is an impressive white marble frieze of Padmavati flanked by elephants and lions from India, Rajasthan or Guarat, 12th Century, 17 1/4 inches long. It has an estimate of $18,000 to $$25,000.  It sold for $20,000.

Lot 249, a thangka of Magzor Gyalmo, Tibet or Mongolia, 18th Century 18  1/2 by 11 1/2 inches

Lot 249 is a fine thangka of Magzor Gyalmo, Tibet or Mongolia, 18th Century.  It is the back-cover illustration of the catalogue.  It measures 18 1/2 by 11 1/2 inches.  It has an estimate of $20,000 to $30,000.  It failed to sell.

Use the Search Box below to quickly look up articles at this site on specific artists, architects, authors, buildings and other subjects

See The City Review of the Sporer Collection of Himalayan Sculpture at Christie's New York in Fall, 2015

ee The City Review article on the Barron Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles at Christie's New York in Fall, 2015

See The City Review article on the Hildegard Schonfeld Collection of Fine Chinese Snuff Bottles at Christie's March 21, 2013

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