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Lot 147
THE ARHAT VAJRIPUTRA
Estimated Value:
800 € - 1.200 €
Result:
3.108 € incl. Premium and VAT
Description:
Tibet or Mongolia, 18th/ 19th c.H. 24 cm
The name of the arhat is carved into the robe, near the right elbow. According to Tibetan legend, Vajriputra is a son of King Udayana. The mendicant monk Katyayana taught him the Dharma and later ordained him as a monk. Legend has it that the young bhikshu was asked to go to the house of a raja on an alms errand, where he taught the Buddha's teachings to the female inhabitants. The raja, who was said to have known nothing about this, accused the monk of being an intruder and had him beaten up and chased away. Afterwards, the disgraced monk threatened to return with an army of his father to punish the raja. However, his teacher Katyayana pacified him and stopped him from his plan. After further teachings from his teacher, he attained arhatship. He is said to have spread the teaching on Lion Island in Ceylon. His attribute, a fly-wing in his left hand, has been lost. With his right hand, according to iconographic descriptions, he makes a threatening gesture. As several fingers of this hand are broken off, the mudra can no longer be recognised exactly. Clay, with gold bronze and remains of iconographic painting.
South German private collection, acquired at Nagel, 14.11.2005, lot 1635 from a Scandinavian private collection - Damages due to age, base plate lost
