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Palembang, Sumatra. Heavily cast, standing in samabhanga, the principal right hand raised in abhaya mudra and the principal left in karana mudra, while the secondary hands lowered alongside the body, one holding a small water flask. The four-armed deity clad in a diaphanous dhoti secured at the waist with a sash, leaving the torso exposed. His round face with a serene expression, marked by heavy-lidded, downcast eyes beneath arched brows, an aquiline nose, and full lips forming a subtle smile, all framed by long, pendulous earlobes. The hair neatly arranged and gathered into a high chignon, centered by a diminutive image of Buddha Amitabha.
Provenance: La Balaustra Antichità, Arte Archeologia classica orientale e precolombiana, 1998, Bologna, Italy. Collection of Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022), acquired from the above. A copy of a stamped certificate written by Giuliana Zanetti of Antichità La Balaustra, adressed to Paolo Bertuzzi, dated 20 March 1998, dating the present lot to the 8th-9th century, accompanies this lot. Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022) was a fashion stylist from Bologna. He was the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother’s business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than sixty years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom.
Condition: Very good condition with old wear, casting irregularities, and distinct traces of weathering and corrosion. Minor losses to the finger of the upper right hand. Light warping. Few small nicks and minute dents. Some cuprite encrustation. The bronze surface with a rich, naturally grown, dark patina.
Weight: 2,186 g
Dimensions: Height 30.1 cm
With a fitted plexiglass stand. (2)
Srivijaya was a Buddhist thalassocratic empire based on the island of Sumatra (in modern-day Indonesia), which influenced much of Southeast Asia and was an important center for the expansion of Buddhism from the 7th to the 12th century AD. It also was the first unified kingdom to dominate much of the Malay Archipelago. Due to its location, the powerful state over time developed more and more complex technology utilizing maritime resources. The rise of the Srivijayan Empire was therefore also parallel to the end of the Malay sea-faring period.
This four-armed Avalokiteshvara exemplifies the finest qualities associated with the pan-Asian cult of the savior bodhisattva. Through its grace and humanism, the work embodies the qualities of compassion central to Buddhist ethics.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related bronze figure of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, Southern Thailand or Sumatra, 8th-9th century, 56.6 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 1982.64. Compare a closely related bronze figure of eight-armed Avalokiteshvara, Palembang, Sumatra, Srivijaya Empire, 9th-10th century, 53 cm high, in the National Museum of Jakarta, inventory number 6024, and illustrated in Jan Fontein, The sculpture of Indonesia, 1990, p. 214, no. 59. Compare a closely related bronze figure of standing Avalokiteshvara, Sumatra, Srivijaya Empire, c. 9th century, 18 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 1985.401, and illustrated in Jan Fontein, The sculpture of Indonesia, 1990, p. 214, no. 62.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Zacke Vienna, 22 March 2022, lot 581
Price: EUR 16,432 or approx. EUR 17,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare bronze figure of Avalokiteshvara, Srivijaya period, Sumatra, 9th-11th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling of the figure, manner of casting, and decorative style. Note the larger size (44.5 cm) including the separately cast stand.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 20 September 2006, lot 202
Price: USD 66,000 or approx. EUR 91,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare bronze figure of Avalokiteshvara, Thailand or Indonesia, Srivijaya Empire, 9th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling of the figure, manner of casting, and decorative style. Note the similar size (29 cm).
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