AN IMPORTANT GROUP OF SCULPTURES FROM INDIA AND SOUTHEAST ASIA, AS WELL AS A LARGE PRIVATE COLLECTION OF HIMALAYAN ART
JO N ATHAN TU CKE R A N TO N IA TO Z ER AS IA N AR T
AN IMPORTANT GROUP OF SCULPTURES FROM INDIA AND SOUTHEAST ASIA, AS WELL AS A LARGE PRIVATE COLLECTION OF HIMALAYAN ART AN EXHIBITION FOR SALE
Thursday 2nd November 2017 to Friday 24th November 2017
JONAT HAN TUCKE R
AN TONIA TO ZER
For further information please telephone Jonathan Tucker or Antonia Tozer on 020 7839 3414, e-mail jonathantucker1@aol.com or antoniatozer@aol.com, or visit the exhibition online at our website:
ASIAN AR T All works of art are for sale subject to availability, unless previously sold
www.asianartresource.com
WE ALSO CONDUCT APPRAISALS, INSURANCE VALUATIONS AND RESEARCH OF WORKS OF ART G ALLERY JONATHAN TUCKER ANTONIA TOZER ASIAN ART 37 Bury Street St James's London SW1Y 6AU Tel: 020 7839 3414
OPENING HOURS
Monday to Friday 10am-6pm Saturday 4th November 10am-5pm Sunday 5th November 11am-9pm
INTRODUCTION
J ONATHAN T UCKER
AND
A NTONIA TOZER
We are pleased to announce details of our
five hundred Himalayan and Indian objects from
forthcoming exhibition for this, our eighteenth
a single UK owner, accumulated over the past
year of participation in Asian Art in London. This
forty years. Some of the key pieces are shown in
year’s exhibition will be held at our gallery from
this catalogue, as well as links to two online
Thursday 2nd November to Friday 24th
catalogues of the entire collection.
November 2017 and will include a selection of sculptures, paintings, ritual objects and other
Antonia and I look forward to welcoming you to
works of art from Gandhara, India, Southeast
the gallery once again for this year’s exhibition
Asia, Tibet and Nepal in stone, bronze, stucco,
and would be delighted to answer any questions
wood and gold.
you may have, either before or during the event.
Among this year’s highlights are three large and
We would like to take this opportunity, once
important Gandhara sculptures, originally in a
again, to express our thanks to Alan Tabor for his
private French collection, serene and lovely
exceptional photography, to Steve Hayes for his
bronze Buddhas from Southeast Asia and a
design and to Lamport Gilbert Ltd, our printers.
group (more accurately a ‘stealth’ or ‘ambush’) of
We would also like to thank our good friend Dr
painted wood Burmese tigers. Our key offering
Hugo Kreijger for his invaluable assistance with
this year is an immense collection of more than
the Himalayan works of art.
A LA RG E UK P RI VATE COL LEC TION OF HIMALAYAN AR T This year we are pleased to present a collection of over five hundred Tibetan, Nepalese and Indian works of art, accumulated over the past forty years by a collector living in London. He passed away earlier this year and his collection is now for sale. The collection includes sculpture, ritual objects, paintings, textiles, manuscripts and utilitarian items. To view the entire collection, please visit the following link for items still available from Part One (nos. 1-260): https://issuu.com/jonathantucker1/docs/himalayan_collection_part_one-items_efa35fa435051d For items still available from Part Two (nos. 261-503) visit the following link: https://issuu.com/jonathantucker1/docs/himalayan_collection_part_two-items_0c49b8a9d4eb4d Nos. 1-10 on the following pages are some of highlights from the collection. Please note that the number in brackets refers to the number in the online catalogue.
1
( 50 2) PO L IS HED STON E N AND I ( V RS A) NEPAL, PROBABLY KATHMANDU VALLEY 13TH - 14TH CENTURY H. 27 CMS, 10 ½ INS L. 60 CMS, 23 ½ INS A rare and important polished, greenish-black stone figure of a recumbent Nandi bull, vehicle of Lord Shiva, of trapezoidal form with his head stretched forwards, realistically modelled with a tranquil aspect and pronounced dewlap, his tail curled up over his haunches. The best known example of this type is the colossal, gilded black stone image of the sacred bull at the Pasupatinath Temple, Kathmandu - see the following link: http://www.cosmovisions.com/images/Pashupatinath-Nandi.jpg Price: £20,000
2
( 50 3) TERR ACOT TA BU DDH IST TR IP T YC H GANDHARA 3RD – 4TH CENTURY H. (SEATED MAITREYA) 39 CMS, 15 ¼ INS (STANDING BUDDHA) 54.5 CMS, 21 ½ INS (STANDING BODHISATTVA) 52 CMS, 20 ½ INS A terracotta triptych comprising a seated Maitreya (the Future Buddha) on a lotus pedestal, flanked by a pair of figures of a standing Buddha and a Bodhisattva. For two stucco examples of the flanking figures see cat. nos. 305 and 335 in I. Kurita, Gandharan Art II: The World of the Buddha, Tokyo: Nigensha publishing, 2003. For a schist example of the seated figure, please see cat. no. 142 in Deborah E. Klimburg-Salter, Buddha in Indien, Vienna: Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, 1995. Note: All three figures have old repairs and restorations. Reputedly from Spink and Son Ltd. Price: £20,000
3
( 25 7) BLACK STON E S TELE SH OWIN G T W O S CE N ES O F T HE BUD D HA P RE AC HIN G NEPAL, LICCHAVI PERIOD 8TH - 9TH CENTURY H. 29 CMS, 11 ½ INS W.22 CMS, 8 ½ INS Price: £10,000
4
( 18 2) W OOD PAN EL S HO WI N G THE B IR T H O F T HE B UDD HA NEPAL EARLY 10TH - LATE 12TH CENTURY H. 25 CMS, 9 ¾ INS W.22 CMS, 8 ½ INS Note: Age verified by radiocarbon test. Price: £2,000
5
W OOD PA NEL WITH IN DR A AND HIS CO NS OR T S AC HI NEPAL, KATHMANDU VALLEY MID-18TH CENTURY DATED 879 (NEPALESE SAMBAT), 1758 AD H. 41 CMS, 16 ¼ INS This sculpture has a dedicatory inscription which includes a Nepalese Sambat date of 879, equivalent to 1758 AD. For a closely related wood carving in the Indian Museum, Kolkata (Calcutta), see cat. no. 68 in Amita Ray, Art of Nepal, New Delhi: Indian Council for Cultural Relations, 1973. See also cat. no. 67 (ibid.). Price: £10,000
6
( 45 3) RE POUS SÉ G ILT B RO N ZE PL AQ UE O F T HE LO K APALA D HR TA R AS HT R A FLA N KED BY A FOUR -AR M ED MAHAK ALA AN D TS E RIN GMA ON HORS E B AC K TIBET CIRCA 15TH CENTURY H. 22 CMS, 8 ½ INS W. 71 CMS, 28 INS Price: £7,000
7
( 45 2) LA RGE WOO DEN BHAI R AVA MAS K NEPAL 18TH CENTURY H. 40 CMS, 15 ¾ INS For a similar example in terracotta, see cat. no. S60 in P. Pal, 1985. Price: £4,000
8 and 9
(4 4 8 A N D 4 5 1 ) PAIR OF P OL IS HE D B LAC K S TO NE R OYAL ADOR AN TS NEPAL 19TH CENTURY (MALE) H. 43 CMS, 17 INS (FEMALE) H. 31 CMS, 12 INS Price: £3,000 each
10
(4 5 9 ) C AR V E D W OO DE N T EM P LE ARC H ( T YM PA NUM O R TO R A NA) NEPAL 18TH - 19TH CENTURY W. 128 CMS, 50 ½ INS For a similar example, see cat. no. S57 in P. Pal, 1985. Price: £3,000
W ORK S OF AR T FROM OTHER CO LL EC T IO NS SO UT H EA S T ASI A 11
GI LD ED, LACQUER ED AN D I N LAID W O O D S E AT E D B UD DHA BURMA MANDALAY PERIOD 19TH CENTURY H. 76 CMS, 30 INS A large, beautifully sculpted, gilded and lacquered wood Buddha, inlaid with red, green and mirror glass, with his right hand lowered in bhumisparsimudra (the gesture of summoning the earth to witness) and the left resting in his lap, the face meditative and serene beneath a domed usnisha For a closely related Mandalay period example in the Victoria and Albert Museum, please see cat. no. 8 in J. Lowry, 1974. For a similar wooden image see P.141, page 185 in S. Lopetcharat, 2007. For more on wood and lacquer Buddhas from this period, see S. Fraser-Lu, May-June 1981 or see the following link: http://tinyurl.com/nfj5m7t PROVENANCE: Private English collection. Price: £6,500
12
BRON ZE FI GU RE OF SEATED BU DDHA BURMA MANDALAY PERIOD 19TH CENTURY H. 50 CMS, 19 ¾ INS A large and finely cast gilded bronze figure of the Buddha seated in vajrasana, his right hand in bhumisparsimudra (the gesture of ‘summoning the earth to witness’) and his left resting in his lap in dhyanamudra, the face meditative and serene, wearing a sanghati with multiple cascading pleats For four bronze Buddhas of similar type see page 181, p.126-129 in in S. Lopetcharat, 2007. For a fine example of a seated marble Buddha of this type in the Victoria and Albert Museum, see no. 8 in J. Lowry, 1974. PROVENANCE: Private English collection. Previously in a private French collection. Price: £5,000
13
A ST REA K , OR AMB US H OF PAIN TE D W OO D T IG ER S BURMA TAI YAI (SHAN STATES) EARLY 20TH CENTURY L. (LARGE ONE) 135 CMS, 53 INS H. (APPROXIMATE, OF OTHER FOUR) 40 CMS, 16 INS A charming group of a single large and four smaller painted wood tigers in mid-roar, the former prowling forwards with his tail raised and the latter with a paw raised as if to strike For a figure of the Maung Po Tu nat riding a tiger see plate 74 in Sylvia Fraser-Lu, 1994. PROVENANCE: Private German collection. Price: (large) £6,000 (small) £1,800 each
14
SEATED B RO NZ E B UDD H A LAOS SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY H. (INCLUDING FINIAL) 55 CMS, 21 ½ INS A serene, elegant bronze Buddha, seated in virasana on a stepped pedestal, the right hand lowered in bhumisparsimudra (the gesture of 'summoning the earth to witness') and the left resting in his lap, the face meditative and serene beneath a conical chignon crowned by a flame usnisha; wearing a thin sanghati with the right shoulder exposed and a long, central sash falling to the waist For a similar Buddha see P. 250 (bottom right) in S. Lopetcharat, 2000. PROVENANCE: Private German collection. Price: £8,000
15 and 16
T WO BRONZE B UD DH A H EADS THAILAND 19TH CENTURY KAMPHAENG PHET STYLE AND AYUTTHAYA STYLE RESPECTIVELY NO. 15. H. 42 CMS, 16 ½ INS NO. 16 H. 30 CMS, 11 ¾ INS Two elegant and over life-size bronze Buddha heads, each beautifully cast and with a soft tranquil expression, the eyes cast downwards in meditation beneath long sweeping brows, the earlobes long and flaring; with an extensive traces of gilding on the surface Note: These heads have been cleaned and polished over time and may have been made before the 19th century. PROVENANCE: Private English collection. Price: £5,000 each
17
BRON ZE S EATED BUD D HA THAILAND, LATE SUKHOTHAI STYLE CIRCA 15TH CENTURY PROBABLY FROM KAMPHAENG PHET H. 21.5 CMS, 8 ½ INS A finely sculpted bronze figure of the Buddha, seated in virasana with the right hand lowered in bhumisparsimudra (‘the gesture of summoning the earth to witness’) and the left resting in his lap, the face meditative and serene, with extensive traces of gilding remaining Kamphaeng Phet was a royal city in the Sukhothai kingdom and was also an important strategic town during the succeeding Ayutthaya kingdom. The great Phra Buddha Jinnarat from Wat Phra Si Ratana Mahathat, Phitsanulok, one of the most revered images in Thailand, is a sublime example of the late Sukhothai type – see page 112 in S. Van Beek and L. Tettoni, 2000. PROVENANCE: Private English collection. Price: £4,000
18
BRON ZE VI SH VAK AR MAN KHMER, ANGKOR PERIOD ANGKOR WAT STYLE 12TH CENTURY H. 16 CMS, 6 ¼ INS A fine half-kneeling figure of Vishvakarman (‘Principal Architect of the Universe’) wielding his hatchet Vishvakarman images were particularly popular during the 12th century, when numerous religious buildings were constructed throughout the Khmer Empire. For a closely related, kneeling figure of Vishvarkaman (‘Principal Architect of the Universe’), see p. 317, fig. 8.32 in E. C. Bunker and D. Latchford, 2011. PROVENANCE: Private English collection. Price: £7,500
C HIN A 19
W HIT E MARB LE LOW E R TOR S O OF B UDD HA CHINA NORTHERN QI DYNASTY 550-577 AD H. 42 CMS, 16 ½ INS An outstanding white marble lower torso of Buddha, swathed in a loose fitting robe, the folds delineated by shallow sweeping incisions For a similar example from the celebrated Qingzhou hoard, unearthed in 1996 in Shandong province, please see no. 24 in Royal Academy of Arts, 2002. PROVENANCE: Private English collection. Acquired from Christie’s East, New York, 19 March 2001. The auction details stated that the sculpture was sold to benefit the Asian Acquisition Fund of the Harvard University Art Museums and originally came from a distinguished Connecticut private collection Price: £16,500
G AN DHA R A 20
TERR ACOT TA CO NTE MPLATIVE B OD HISAT T VA GANDHARA 4TH – 5TH CENTURY AD H. 49 CMS, 19 ¼ INS W. 39 CMS, 15 ¼ INS A rare and exquisite figure of a pensive Bodhisattva seated in a relaxed posture on a lotus throne wearing a jewelled diadem, necklaces, heavy earrings and basubands, his left hand holding a long curving lotus and his right raised to touch the side of his head, a flame-edged circular nimbus behind. For a related grey schist figure in the Matsuoka Museum of Art, Tokyo, please see cat. no. 151 in I. Kurita, 2003, Vol. II. For a terracotta example see cat. no. 896 (ibid.). Note: Age authenticated by Oxford laboratories TL test no. N112g39. PROVENANCE: Private English collection. Formerly in a Private French collection. Price: POA
21
G REY SCHI ST FIG URE O F A YAK SHI OR C ARYATI D GANDHARA 2ND - 3RD CENTURY AD H. 74 CMS, 29 INS A rare and important grey schist figure of a Yakshi (nature spirit) or caryatid, voluptuous in form, standing in a relaxed posture on a lotus pedestal, adorned with extensive jewellery including a diadem, heavy earrings, necklaces, anklets and a multi-strand belt with a heartshaped pendant, her right breast exposed and her left partially concealed by a diaphanous robe with multiple pleats, her hair neatly arranged in an elaborate coiffure A caryatid is of Greek origin and is a sculpted female figure, serving as an architectural element to take the place of a column or a pillar as a support for an entablature (the upper part of a building). For a group of related figures see cat. nos. 426429 in I. Kurita, 2003, Vol. II. PROVENANCE: Private English collection. Formerly in a Private French collection. Price: POA
22
G REY SCHI ST FIG URE O F A S TAN DIN G B UDDH A GANDHARA 2ND - 3RD CENTURY AD H. 94 CMS, 37 INS A dark grey schist figure of Buddha standing with his feet apart on a rectangular pedestal decorated with lotuses, the face with a benign, tranquil expression, the (missing) right hand raised in abhayamudra (the gesture of dispelling fear) and the left holding the hem of his robe, wearing a long sanghati with multiple folds, his head framed by a plain circular nimbus For a group of similar standing schist Buddhas in the British Museum, see cat. nos. 1-16 in W. Zwalf, 1996. PROVENANCE: Private English collection. Formerly in a Private French collection. Price: POA
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CHINA Royal Academy of Arts, Return of the Buddha: The Qingzhou Discoveries, 2002. GANDHARA E. Errington and J. Cribb (eds.), The Crossroads of Asia. Exhibition Catalogue, Cambridge: Ancient India and Iran Trust, 1992. H. Ingholt and F. Lyons, Gandharan Art in Pakistan, New York: Pantheon Books, 1957. I. Kurita, Gandharan Art: The Buddha’s Life Story and The World of the Buddha, 2 vols. Tokyo: Nigensha publishing, 2003. W. Zwalf, A Catalogue of the Gandhara Sculpture in the British Museum, London: British Museum Press, 1996. TIBET AND NEPAL P. Pal, Art of Nepal: A Catalogue of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art Collection, LACMA and University of California Press, 1985. Amita Ray, Art of Nepal, New Delhi: Indian Council for Cultural Relations, 1973. M. Shepherd Slusser, Nepal Mandala: A Cultural Study of the Kathmandu Valley, Vol. 2. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1982. U. Von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong: Visual Dharma Publications, 1981. BURMA S. Fraser-Lu, Buddha Images from Burma, Part I: Sculptured in Stone, Arts of Asia, JanuaryFebruary 1981 S. Fraser-Lu, Buddha Images from Burma, Part II: Bronze and Related Metals, Arts of Asia, March-April 1981. S. Fraser-Lu, Buddha Images from Burma, Part III: Wood and Lacquer, Arts of Asia, MayJune 1981. Sylvia Fraser-Lu, Burmese Crafts Past and Present, New York: O.U.P., 1994. S. Lopetcharat, Myanmar Buddha: The Image and Its History, Bangkok: Siam International Books Co. Ltd, 2007. J. Lowry, Burmese Art, London: Victoria & Albert Museum, 1974. CAMBODIA E. C. Bunker and D. Latchford, Adoration and Glory: The Golden Age of Khmer Art, Chicago: Art Media Resources, 2004. E. C. Bunker and D. Latchford, Khmer Bronzes: New Interpretations of the Past, Chicago: Art Media Resources, 2011. THAILAND S. Lopetcharat, Lao Buddha: The Image and Its History, Bangkok: Siam International Book Company, 2000. F. McGill et al, The Kingdom of Siam: The Art of Central Thailand, San Francisco: Asian Art Museum, 2005. State Hermitage Museum, Siamese Art of the 14th-19th centuries in the Hermitage, St Petersburg, 1997. GENERAL F. Kerlogue, Arts of Southeast Asia, London: Thames and Hudson, 2004.
J ON AT H A N TUC K ER A NTON IA TO ZER
A SI AN A R T