104. * A SMALL COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF STANDING BUDDHA Kashmir, 9th/10th century Himalayan Art Resources item no. 2857 14 cm (5 1/2 in.) high Provenance: Property from a Southern California Estate. The standing figure of Buddha is poised in an elegant contrapposto on a lotus base supported by a pedestal. The right hand is raised in abhaya mudra, a gesture signifying divine reassurance and fearlessness, while the left delicately gathers the hem of his monastic robe. The garment cascades over both shoulders, accentuating the figure's elongated and athletic contours. The synthesis of naturalistic modelling and dynamic posture exemplifies the refinement of Kashmiri sculptural traditions between the 7th and 12th centuries, a period marked by a unique confluence of Indic, Gandharan, and Central Asian artistic influences. A flaming mandorla encircles the figure, serving as a radiant halo, another defining expression of Kashmiri aesthetic sensibilities. For a closely related example, see a bronze standing figure of a Buddha from the same period collected at the British Museum, London (accession number 1955,1019.1).