32. STATUETTE DE PADMAPANI LOKESHVARA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉ NÉPAL, XIVE SIÈCLE Himalayan Art Resources item no. 4815 33.3 cm (13 1/8 in.) high A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF PADMAPANI LOKESHVARA NEPAL, 14TH CENTURY 尼泊爾 十四世紀 銅鎏金蓮華手觀音像 Provenance: With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s This Padmapani figure exemplifies a form of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara that was popular during the early Malla period (c. 1200-1479). Approachable, regally adorned, of slender proportions, "The Lord Who Looks Down [with Compassion]", offers his right hand in a gesture of charity (varada mudra) while his left once held the lower stem of the lotus that blossoms at his shoulder. As the pure and perfect Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion in Mahayana Buddhism, Avalokiteshvara willingly postpones his own highest enlightenment to save all sentient beings from suffering first. Situated between the great Himalayan range to the north and the vast Indian subcontinent to the south, the Kathmandu Valley gave rise to a unique culture that blended Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Avalokiteshvara garnered particular attention from Buddhists and Hindus alike. Images of the deity began to proliferate, adopting the leitmotif of the standing bodhisattva in a limber pose, with a bare torso, supple waist, and sheer lower garment from the Gupta period (4th-to 6th-centuries), the golden age of Indian. A famed standing Padmapani from Sarnath in the National Museum, New Delhi exemplifies this root (cf. Across the Silk Road, Beijing, 2016, pp.160-1, no.70). The Newars adopted and preserved this tradition, adding exaggerated narrow waists and swollen thighs by the 13th-century, in establishing the early Malla style. A short skirt incised with floral designs is secured around Avalokiteshvara's waist with a gem-inset belt. A sacred thread gently hangs over his left shoulder and across his right hip, drawing the viewer's attention to the sensitive treatment of Avalokiteshvara's tapered waist and powerful legs as he shifts his weight to one side. A slight bend in the left knee relaxes the formal pose. A sash covers the thighs and descends in cascading flutters at the hip and groin. He wears a necklace with inset pendant gems of red, turquoise, green, and purple. An empty channel just above the pendants was once filled with seed pearls, secured in place by fine wires. One still remains. Slightly earlier examples of Avalokiteshvara are in the Cleveland Museum of Art and in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; a much larger and somewhat later example may be seen in the Victoria & Albert Museum in London (von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981, figs. 90F,90G &94B, respectively. See also an earlier example in the Rubin Museum of Art, New York [HAR 65430]). This sculpture's richly gilded copper casting, the jewelry, and the figural proportions are hallmarks of Newari style of the Kathmandu Valley. Such aesthetic achievement impelled by the veneration of these deified images was executed with the mastery of metalworking techniques, which was both a well-known and highly appreciated tradition of the Kathmandu Valley. The ability to cohesively balance the corporeal forms and decoration shows a proficiency working with the material itself. The heavy copper content of the metal alloy provided the support, for a thin layer of gilding to be laid on top, producing a warm and luxuriant glow. Whereas the figure's elegance betrays the hand of a Newari master craftsman, the gold paint applied to the face and blue pigment to the hair reflect Tibetan ritual practices, suggesting the work was worshipped in Tibet for part of its history.