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SRI LANKA, ANURADHAPURA PERIOD, 6TH-7TH CENTURY 29 ? in. high (74.9 cm.)
Property from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Phillips; Christie's, New York, 17 September 2003, lot 35.
The large-scale, iconic seated Buddha depicted here lot is one of very few complete extent examples of late Anuradhapura sculpture. It has passed through two important private collections, with a rich international publication and domestic exhibition history.
The earliest known Buddhist sculptures in Sri Lanka date to the third century CE, the iconographic and stylistic language inherited from the important historical site of Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh, India. Examples of the elegant Amaravati style can be seen in the present lot in the upright posture; the solid, fleshy physiognomy; the downward slope of the shoulders; and the positioning of the arms with a slight bend at the elbows.
An unusual feature of the present lot is the unadorned hairstyle, rather than the typical stylized or snailshell curls of Buddha. It may represent Buddha moments after having his head shaved, or it may be an unworked portion of the sculpture. Carved from coarse-grained dolomite marble, sculptures of this type were originally coated with stucco and painted, allowing for additions such as curls on the hair, with the eyes often inlaid with painted crystal or stone. For similar wear patterns to dolomitic marble, compare the surface of the current work with a contemporaneous head of Buddha, illustrated by J. Baker in Guardian of the Flame: Art of Sri Lanka, Phoenix, 2003, p. 68, image 1.
Another elegant detail of note appears on the reverse of the sculpture, which was carved in the round. The edge of the diaphanous robe (only visible from the front through the crook of the proper left elbow) cascades down the back of figure, as is thrown over the shoulder, and imbues the sculpture with a lifelike quality.
For further examples of late Anuradhapura period sculpture in dolomitic marble, see three sculptures of seated Buddha from the sixth-eighth centuries, illustrated by U. von Schroeder in Buddhist Sculptures of Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, 1990, p. 124-125, cat. nos. 24B, 24C and 24E.