A Large Gilt-Copper Repoussé Figure of Maitreya | Nepal, 17th -18th Century

Project Description

Description: Bronze, 49.2 cm high
Catalogue note: The present figure of Maitreya is an iconic example of late Nepalese sculptural tradition. The hems of the dhoti and the sash draped over the waist are elaborately incised with a scrolling foliate motif, while the jewellery and crown is in an organic lotiform design that mirrors the lotuses that bloom at the shoulders.In the later Malla Period, from the sixteenth through eighteenth centuries, the rulers of the three kingdoms of the Kathmandu Valley engaged in an extensive construction program to compete with their neighbours. As their central squares increasingly filled with temples and palaces, the demand for religious images reached epic proportions. To meet that demand, the artisans of the Kathmandu Valley turned to the repoussé technique, which was faster and more material-conscious than bronze casting. In the repoussé technique, thin sheets of metal are beaten over moulds and then pieced together to form a three-dimensional image. While many were in simple copper, polished to imitate gilding, the most important works, including the present work, were richly gilded. Himalayan Art Resources (himalayanart.org), item no. 24502.
Provenance: Acquired from Christie’s, Sale 17347, Lot 690, Invoice no. DB19005295. Private collection, Belgium, by 1981 | Christie's London, 22 April 1981, lot 70 | Christie’s Paris, 21 November 2008, lot 240
Catalogue no.: 2019A0186