117. P* STATUETTE D'AMITAYUS EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉ ATTRIBUÉ À SONAM GYALTSEN (A. XVE SIÈCLE), SHIGATSE, TIBET CENTRAL, VERS 1430-40 Himalayan Art Resources item no. 16792 43 cm (17 in.) high A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF AMITAYUS ATTRIBUTED TO SONAM GYALTSEN (A. 15TH CENTURY), SHIGATSE, CENTRAL TIBET, CIRCA 1430-40 日喀則 藏中 約1430-1440年 銅鎏金無量壽佛像 應為索南堅贊之作 Provenance: Sotheby's Parke-Bernet, New York, 23 May 1979, lot 85 Navin Kumar, New York A French Private Collection, Paris, acquired from the above on 31 August 1984 Christie's, Paris, 19 December 2012, lot 209 An Important Asian Private Collection Published: Ulrich von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1981, p. 446, no. 121A. This magnificent gilt-bronze figure of Amitayus bears all the hallmarks of the exceptional master-craftsmanship of one of the greatest known artists in Tibet, active during the first half of the 15th century, namely, the master craftsman Sonam Gyaltsen.  The attribution to Sonam Gyaltsen is demonstrated in the evident similarities to the gilt-copper alloy figure of Avalokiteshvara Sahasrabhuja Ekadasamukha, circa 1430, identified by inscription to have been made by Sonam Gyaltsen, which was sold at Bonhams, New York, 19 March 2018, lot 3033. These close similarities are manifest in the comparable facial features, the turquoise-inset jewelry, the incised decoration, and lotus lappets: Gyaltsen completes his bronze's lotus petals in the round with symmetrically curling plump inner corolla on top of swelled outer petals with pointed tips. Gyaltsen lightly engraves Amitayus' silks with auspicious symbols. He models Amitayus with slender physiognomy. The hair is distinctively arranged into a fringe of rounded curls before the crown. Gyaltsen apportions the jewelry with restraint, such that small turquoise settings brilliantly lead the eye over the body without distracting from its alluring suppleness. Lastly, in the handsome face, Gyaltsen elegantly captures the benevolent and restful essence of Amitayus. As noted in the inscription of the Sonam Gyaltsen Avalokiteshvara, the master craftsman had the patronage of the Rinpung dynasty and more specifically the third monarch, Norbu Zangpo (1403-66) who ruled between 1435 and 1466. The dynasty's seat of power was in Shigatse, Tsang Province in Central Tibet, and its rulers mostly patronized the Sakya order. This figure was created at the culmination of the foundation or enlargement of Jamchen Chode monastery near Shigatse, circa 1430. It is therefore possible that the present figure of Amitayus was also created as part of the project for the Jamchen monastery. While the Bonhams Avalokiteshvara remains the only known inscribed figure identified by inscription to be by Sonam Gyaltsen, it allows us to attribute other important sculptures in public and private collections to the great master. Compare with images of Guhyamanjuvajra and Vajrabhairava in the Rietberg Museum, Zurich (Uhlig, On the Path to Enlightenment, 1995, pp. 170-1, nos. 113 & 114), which closely match the present sculpture's lotus petals, rich gilding, and densely encrusted jewelry. Also see an image of White Tara wearing a similar peaceful expression and cloud-collar over her shoulders (HAR 21448). Attributed to Sonam Gyaltsen: A Magnificent Figure of Amitayus by Jeff Watt, Director and Chief Curator of Himalayan Art Resources (HAR) Amitayus, Buddha (Tibetan: tse pag me; who is also known as The Enlightened One of Immeasurable Life, Lord of Limitless Life and Pristine Awareness, the Sambhogakaya Appearance (Enjoyment Body) of Buddha Amitabha. The term 'Buddha' has two different meanings. The first meaning is an abstract religious definition and the second is a descriptive term used in Himalayan style art. In the tradition of Mahayana Buddhism Amitabha resides in the western direction in the Pureland called Sukhavati (Land of Great Bliss). Full descriptions of his iconography and environment are found in the literature of the Sukhavati-vyuha Sutra. The two names, Amitayus and Amitabha Buddha, describe the same entity, the same individual. Along with the two different names there is a difference in emphasis and a different appearance. Amitabha Buddha has the classic look of a Buddha figure wearing monastic robes, holding a begging bowl and displaying an ushnisha on the crown of the head. Amitabha, in the buddha manifestation, is known as the Buddha of Immeasurable Light. The Amitayus form is depicted as a peaceful male deity with long flowing hair, beautiful ornaments, heavenly garments, along with a long-life vase resting on the palms of the two hands placed in a meditation gesture. Although a Buddha, Amitayus, does not appear as a Buddha, but rather as a peaceful deity, and he represents immeasurable life, or rather the quality and promise of long life. The two names are often confused, conflated or used interchangeably. With painted examples, the two figures are both depicted in a red colour. 'Bhagavan Lord of Limitless Life and Pristine Awareness with a body red in colour, one face, two hands and with two long eyes glancing with compassion on beings, gazing on the entirety of migrators; and a smiling face, wearing the complete sambhogakaya vestments. Above the two hands held in meditation is a long-life vase filled with the nectar of immortality; with the hair in tufts, adorned with silks and jewels, seated in vajra posture, the body blazing with the shining light of the [32] marks and [80] examples'. (Sakya Tridzin Kunga Tashi, 1656-1711). The style of the present figure can be firmly compared and attributed to the early 15th century hand of Sonam Gyaltsen. This is evident in the body proportions, ornamentation, and many minor details. An awareness of Sonam Gyaltsen's atelier and distinctive sculptural style only came to light recently, based on an inscription located on the lotus base of an Avalokiteshvara sculpture sold at Bonhams, New York, 19 March 2018, lot 3033; HAR 61516. The inscription was rich with information. Based on a triangulation of dates comprising two named donors, a well-known historical Buddhist teacher, and the artist, a date of around 1430 could be established for that sculpture.  A close comparison of the two sculptural works, the present Amitayus and the Sonam Gyaltsen Avalokiteshvara, demonstrates that both were made in the same workshop around a similar time, most likely by the hand of the artist Sonam Gyaltsen.  Since 2018, more works have now been identified as belonging to the Sonam Gyaltsen sculpture atelier. However, unlike the firm attribution of the Avalokiteshvara by the inscription and the Amitayus by close comparable style and craftsmanship - this does not mean that all of the other sculptures were created or designed by the artist Sonam Gyaltsen. The name Sonam Gyaltsen, as found on the Bonhams Avalokiteshvara inscription, provides crucial information not only placing that sculpture and similar stylistic works to a specific time, circa 1430 and later, but also geographically in Tsang province and specifically in the Shigatse/Shalu area of Central Tibet. Some of the special characteristics of the Sonam Gyaltsen atelier style are a well-proportioned body, fluid in movement and natural in appearance. Incised floral patterns are a feature commonly found around the bottom of the lotus base. Slight incising can also be found on the small tips of the two layers of the double lotus base. His entire regalia is lavishly decorated with inset stones, with turquoise being the most abundant. The most essential point of these sculptural discoveries is that based on an identified inscribed work, along with a date, a growing number of works can now be attributed to a prominently named artist, the only named artist identified at this time for this sculptural style.  It is therefore reasonable to assign this style more broadly to the Sonam Gyaltsen sculpture atelier. For art historians and collectors alike, this sculptural tradition is significant for producing some of the finest Tibetan sculpture created during a golden age of both art and Tibetan literary output. The style embodies the best qualities and represents a true synthesis of styles from the surrounding regions of the Himalayas, India, Kashmir, Nepal, and China, reshaped into a truly unique Tibetan aesthetic flourishing in the 15th century. The present sculpture of Amitayus is arguably one of only a small handful of works to date that can be firmly attributed to Sonam Gyaltsen, therefore further adding to the current identifiable body of works by the master sculptor. New York October 2019