A BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI ON A LION THRONE, PALA PERIOD Northeastern India, 8th- 12th century. Remnants of silver inlay to eyes. Well-modeled seated in dhyanasana on a lotus base with beaded rim, his hands finely detailed in bhumisparsa mudra with fingers and toes slightly splayed, the figure wearing a fitted sanghati draped over his left shoulder and falling in elegant folds at his feet. Provenance: From the collection of Georg Weifert (1850-1937). Thence by descent in the same family. Weifert was a Serbo-Austrian industrialist and the first governor of the Federal Bank of the Kingdom of Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia. Condition: Some losses, warping, extensive wear and traces of use, remnants of old lacquer coating and varnish, the seal plate of Tibetan origin and probably an addition from the 14th or 15th century. The mandorla lost. Weight: 293.3 g Dimensions: Height 12 cm His face in a tranquil countenance with features set in a slight smile, with beaded hairstyle surmounted by a domed ushnisha and bud-shaped cintamani. The two lions supporting the stepped throne are elaborately cast recumbent, flanking a central flower medallion. The seal plate is a later addition of Tibetan origin and bears a neatly incised vishvajra symbol. This indicates an origin possibly from Nalanda Monastery, Bihar, a famous center for Buddhist studies between the 8th and 12th century. Scholars from countries outside India studied Vajrayana Buddhism at the Nalanda University and on their way back usually carried manuscripts written on palm-leaf and small bronze or stone statues. This Buddha image must have been in Tibet for many centuries, as the seal plate looks like from the 14th or 15th century. In any case, the statue was touched and ritually washed countless of times, giving it extensive natural wear and a superb patina. Literature comparison: Von Schroeder, Ulrich. 1981. Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, pp. 252–261, plates 54–58. Von Schroeder, Ulrich. 2001. Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Volume One: India & Nepal; pp. 228-229, pl. 67.