A fine silver-inlaid bronze figure of Buddha Shakyamuni

Description:

Tibet, 16th cent.
H. 17,7 cm
Seated in vajrasana on a lotus base decorated with the vajra-emblem to his front, his right hand lowered in bhumisparshamudra while the left is resting on his lap, wearing monastic garment including an underskirt and a mantle elegantly covering his left shoulder, a small section is draped over the same shoulder in the shape of a swallow’s tail, his face displaying a serene expression with downcast silver-inlaid eyes, smiling lips, elongated earlobes, raised urna, his curled hairdo continuing into the ushnisha and topped with a lotus-bud, re-sealed, the base plate engraved with a double vajra.
From a Southern German private collection, collected by the father of the present owner in the 1970s until 1985, depicted on a photo dated 1985
Major centers of bronze production were located in the Tsang region, particularly around Shigatse and monasteries associated with the Sakya and early Gelug schools. The close collaboration between Tibetan artisans and Newar masters from Nepal shaped the technical precision and stylistic clarity of these works, while the growing emphasis on devotional expression gave rise to a uniquely Tibetan aesthetic. Bronzes of Shakyamuni with silver inlays were primarily used in religious worship and meditation. They served as focal points for visualization practices and as vessels of spiritual blessing (byin rlabs). The use of silver symbolized purity, enlightenment, and the unchanging nature of spiritual truth. Today, 16th-century Tibetan bronzes with silver inlays-such as this depiction of Shakyamuni-are regarded as masterpieces of Himalayan metal art. They exemplify the fusion of technical virtuosity, iconographic precision, and contemplative depth that characterizes the most refined phase of Tibetan bronze sculpture before the stylistic transitions of the 17th century - Small dent on the edge of the base, very minor wear