A MONUMENTAL GILT BRONZE SHRINE DEPICTING SAMANTABHADRA AND CONSORT, 17TH - 18TH CENTURY Tibet. Heavily cast seated in vajraparyankasana on a double lotus base with a beaded upper edge, the lower part of the unsealed base cast separately, the hands lowered in dhyanasana holding the consort Samantabhadri in miniature form, both naked, his serene face with heavy-lidded almond-shaped eyes centered by an urna and flanked by long earlobes, each with an oval piercing. Provenance: The private collection of Paul R. Wedendal (1924-2010), Djursholm, Sweden. Bukowskis, Stockholm, Sweden, Dec 6, 2017, lot 474 (erroneously described as Nepalese Buddha and erroneously dated 18th - 19th century). An important Dutch collection, acquired from the above. Paul Wedendal was a Swedish dentist in Djursholm and a notable collector of Asian art. Condition: Good original condition with traces of use, occasional light scratches, some dents and nicks, minor warping, few losses, remnants of old pigment, wear to gilt overall. The shrine most likely was once a Shakyamuni triad with two smaller figures of Buddha and Manjusri missing. Weight: 7.0 kg (the figure and base), 19.3 kg (the throne) Dimensions: Height 65 cm (incl. throne) and 33 cm (the figure and base only) The base supported on a large and elaborate stepped throne cast in openwork, with Buddhist lions, a carved image of Ganesha, lotus lappets, and ruyi heads, surmounted by a mandorla of leafy peach branches with many buds towering above the figure. In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the Samantabhadra Buddha arises from the early Nyingma Tantric literature of the Guhyagarbha Tantra. He is typically depicted naked, with a Buddha appearance, hands in meditation gesture, legs in vajra posture, embracing the consort Samantabhadri, their union representing the blissful essence of the Truth Body of all Buddhas. Together with Gautama Buddha and the bodhisattva Manjusri, Samantabhadra forms the Shakyamuni Triad in Buddhism. He is the patron of the Lotus Sutra and, according to the Avatamsaka Sutra, made the ten great vows which are the basis of a bodhisattva. In Chinese Buddhism, Samantabhadra is known as Puxian and is associated with action, whereas Manjusri is associated with prajna (transcendent wisdom). In Japan, this bodhisattva is known as Fugen, and is often venerated in Tendai and Shingon Buddhism, and as the protector of the Lotus Sutra by Nichiren Buddhism. In the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, Samantabhadra is also the name of the Adi-Buddha, often portrayed in indivisible union (yab-yum) with his consort, Samantabhadri. Expert's note: Unlike his more popular counterpart Manjusri, Samantabhadra is almost never depicted alone and usually found in a trinity. In the present shrine the two missing figures are Buddha and Manjusri, which are both quite common and therefore - with some patience - can be found and put back in place again. Literature comparison: For a thangka depicting Samantabhadra and Samantabhadri, see Marylin M. Rhie and Robert A. F. Thurman, The Sacred Art of Tibet, London, 1991, pl. 430, no. 51A. For two related figures, see Arts of Asia, Treasures of Himalayan Art, Zhiguan Museum of Fine Art, November - December 2020, p.49, no. 24 and 25. Auction result comparison: Compare with a related gilt bronze depicting Samantabhadra in union with his consort, dated to the 18th-19th century, at Sotheby's Hong Kong in Chinese Art on 30 November to 1 December 2017, lot 451, the figure alone sold for HKD 187,500. 十七至十八世紀銅鎏金普賢如來像 西藏。普賢結金剛座坐于雙層蓮座上，蓮座上邊緣飾有珠紋，第二層蓮座和第一層并不為一體，底部未密封。普賢雙手施禪定印擱在足部，握住微型小佛母，兩人都赤裸著身體。他沉著的臉與沈低垂的雙眼，雙眼之間有天眼，兩側長耳垂，每個耳垂都有橢圓形的耳洞。 來源：瑞典Djursholm Paul R. Wedendal (1924-2010)私人收藏。 瑞典斯德哥爾摩Bukowskis，2017年12月6日lot 474 (錯誤地描述爲尼泊爾佛像以及錯誤地斷代為18至19世紀)。一個重要荷蘭收藏，購於上述拍賣。Paul Wedendal 曾是Djursholm 的一位牙醫，他是知名的亞洲藝術收藏家。 圖片：Paul R. Wedendal (1924-2010) 品相：良好的原始狀態，使用痕跡，局部輕度划痕，一些凹痕和缺口，輕微的翹曲，輕微缺損，舊顏料殘留，整體鎏金磨損。神龕上極有可能曾經是釋迦牟尼與佛陀以及文殊菩薩三聖。 重量：7.0 公斤 (佛像與蓮座), 19.3 公斤 (底座) 尺寸：縂高65 厘米 ，33 厘米 (佛像與蓮座) 底座鏤空鑄造，可見佛獅、大象神、蓮花瓣紋和如意紋，有很多花朵的卷葉曼陀羅。 在藏傳佛教傳統中，普賢菩薩源於早期的寧伽密宗文獻。 他通常赤裸，雙手禪定印，雙腿以金剛姿勢，擁抱佛母，他們的結合代表了所有佛陀真身幸福本質。 喬達摩佛和菩薩文殊以及普賢一起構成了佛教的華嚴三聖。 喬達摩佛弘揚《妙法蓮華經》，《華嚴經》中有十地菩薩贊釋迦牟尼佛偈。 在中國佛教中，普賢菩薩即普賢，是象徵理德、行德的菩薩，與文殊菩薩的智德、正德相對應。在日本，這位菩薩被稱為附言，通常在天台宗和真言宗佛教中受到崇敬，並且被日蓮佛教徒作為《妙法蓮華經》的保護者。 在藏傳佛教寧瑪派中，普賢菩薩也是普賢王如來的名字，通常與他的佛母象徵智慧與慈悲的結合。 專家注釋：不像文殊菩薩，普賢菩薩幾乎從來沒有被單獨描繪過，通常出現在三聖中。 在目前的蓮座上，失踪的兩個人物是佛陀和文殊菩薩，它們都很常見，因此可以耐心地找到並重新放置。 文獻比較: 唐卡普賢王及其佛母可見Marylin M. Rhie and Robert A. F. Thurman, The Sacred Art of Tibet, London, 1991, pl. 430, no. 51A. 拍賣結果比較：一件十八至十九世紀的銅鎏金普賢王與其佛母見香港蘇富比Chinese Art拍場2017年11月 30日至12月1日lot 451售價HKD 187,500.