佛像网

尺寸：高16cm
年代：16世纪
质地：铜鎏金
风格：尼泊尔
来源：拍卖会
成交：68,750美元(2015.09)
参阅：纽约佳士得
鉴赏：
她以游戏坐（lalitasana）安坐，右腿垂放，由一朵莲花承托；六臂环绕周身，各持法器；身着长而飘动的腰布（dhoti），以腰带束系，更佩戴镶嵌硬宝石的种种璎珞珠宝；面容呈喜悦之相，发髻高绾，以冠冕（tiara）固定。

财续佛母（Vasudhara），其名意为“珍宝之流”，起源于11世纪前的印度，后在加德满都河谷的农耕地区广为流行，被奉为丰饶与土地的女神。这尊光彩夺目的财续佛母造像，体现了尼瓦尔（Newari）美学中柔和弯曲、慵懒舒展的形体特征，而这一风格根植于印度东北部的笈多（Gupta）原型。她是佛教中对应于印度教财富与繁荣女神吉祥天女（Lakshmi）以及智慧女神辩才天女（Saraswati）的角色。在她的六只手臂中，分别持有宝鬘（Ratnamanjari，一束珍宝）、般若波罗蜜多经函、谷穗束（Dhanyamanjari，一束丰收谷物）以及盛有甘露（Amrita，不死灵药）的宝瓶。可与一件略早的鎏金铜制度母像相比较（该像曾属私人收藏，见J. Casey等编著《神圣临在：印度与喜马拉雅艺术》，2003年，第110页，图版30），此度母像于2001年10月17日在本拍卖行以第65号拍品成交。尽管那尊度母为立姿，但同样具有修长的躯干、以珠宝项链为中心的高耸圆润双乳，以及多叶瓣的冠冕。本件造像轮廓柔和、面容丰腴，结合其柔韧而富有生机的体态，展现了艺术家对财续佛母精髓的细致理解。她遍身散发着仁慈与慷慨的光辉。

Seated with her right leg pendant in lalitasana supported by a single lotus flower, her six arms radiating around her and holding her attributes, and wearing a long flowing dhoti secured by a belt, further adorned with various jewelry inset with hardstones, her face with a pleasant expression and her hair pulled in a high chignon secured with a tiara.

Vasudhara, whose name means “stream of gems,” originated in India before the 11th century and gained popularity in the agrarian areas of the Kathmandu Valley, where she was worshipped as a goddess of fertility and the land. This resplendent sculpture of Vasudhara embodies the gently curved, languid forms of the Newari aesthetic, which is rooted in Gupta prototypes from Northeastern India. She is the Buddhist counterpart to both Lakshmi, the Hindu Goddess of wealth and prosperity, and to Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of wisdom. In her six arms, she holds the Ratnamanjari (a sheaf of jewels), the Prajnaparamita text, the Dhanyamanjari (a harvest bundle), and a vase containing Amrita (the elixir of immorality). Compare with a slightly earlier gilt bronze figure of Tara from a private collection (J. Casey, et al., Divine Presence: Arts of Indian and the Himalayas, 2003, p.110. pl.30) sold in these rooms on 17 October 2001, lot 65. Though standing, this comparable figure has a similarly elongated torso, with high rounded breasts centred by a jewelled necklace, and a crown with multi-foliate tiara. The contoured, softly voluminous face of the present work combined with her supple and animated physique illustrates the artist’s refined understanding of Vasudhara’s essence. She is radiant with kindness and generosity.