A GILT-BRONZE STANDING FIGURE OF BUDDHA, UNIFIED SILLA DYNASTY, KOREA, 8TH - 9TH CENTURY

A GILT-BRONZE STANDING FIGURE OF BUDDHA, UNIFIED SILLA DYNASTY, KOREA, 8TH - 9TH CENTURY
Finely cast standing with his right hand raised in abhaya mudra and his left lowered in varada mudra, wearing thickly cast voluminous robes which drape from his chest to his ankles in neatly carved U-shaped folds. His serene face with heavy-lidded eyes below gently arched brows, his full lips forming a calm smile, flanked by long pendulous earlobes. The hair arranged in tight curls over the domed ushnisha.
Provenance:
From the collection of Mr. and Mrs. John Marsing, and thence by descent in the same family. John Marsing (1918-1998) was a Danish businessman who, at the age of 20, had established a pharmaceutical company, Marsing & Co. The firm expanded during the mid-20th century and had branches all over Europe, Canada, and Korea. Marsing was very interested in Asian culture and a passionate collector of Asian works of art, particularly from the Himalayas, China, and Korea. He built a substantial collection over decades, buying in Asia and from antique dealers in Denmark as well as auction houses all around Europe.
Condition:
Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, particularly to gilt, signs of weathering and erosion, minor fatigue cracks to the neck, nicks, scratches, losses, casting flaws, encrustations. The bronze with a fine, naturally grown, dark patina.
Weight: 1,511 g (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 25.6 cm (incl. stand) and 20.6 cm (excl. stand)
Mounted on a wood stand. (2)
The backside of the figure
is hollowed with an oval opening at the back of the head above a second, oblong opening at the body, the latter with remnants of a peg inside.
The present figure exemplifies the refined style
of Buddhist sculpture from the Unified Silla dynasty, which lasted from the late seventh through the ninth centuries and was a period of political stability when an international style held sway throughout East Asia.
Literature comparison:
For a related figure in the collection of the Nezu Museum, see Matsubara Saburo, ed., Kankoku kondobutsu Kenkyu (Study of Korean gilt bronze Buddhist figures), 1985, page 167 b.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's New York, 25 April 2017, lot 82
Price: USD 106,250 or approx.
EUR 122,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt-bronze standing figure of Buddha, Unified Silla dynasty, 8th-9th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of casting and modeling with similar robes and pose, as well as the similarly hollowed reserve at the backside, with three openings. Note the similar size (18.4 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's New York, 16 March 2021, lot 252
Price: USD 162,500 or approx.
EUR 173,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt-bronze standing figure of Buddha, Unified Silla to Early Goryeo dynasty, 9th-10th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of casting and modeling with similar robes and pose, as well as the similarly hollowed reserve and extensive wear to gilt. Note the larger size (25.4 cm).
韓國八至九世紀新羅王朝鎏金銅佛
立像
佛陀立像，右手舉起施無畏印，左手低垂，結與願印；身穿寬大袈裟，從胸前垂至腳踝，衣紋流暢。他面容平靜安詳，雙眼微閉，嘴唇露出微笑，兩側是長耳垂，頭髮在頭頂成螺髻。
來源：
John Marsing私人收藏，在同一家族保存至今。
品相：
狀況良好，嚴重磨損，尤其是鎏金、風化和侵蝕跡象、頸部輕微裂紋、刻痕、劃痕、結殼。自然包漿。
重量：1,511 克 (含底座)
尺寸：高 25.6 厘米 (含底座) 與20.6 厘米 (不含底座)
木底座 (2)
造像背面為空心
，頭後部與身體上個有一個橢圓形開口，有一個釘子的殘餘。
拍賣比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2017年4月25日，lot 82
價格：USD 106,250（相當今日
EUR 122,000
）
描述：八至九世紀新羅王朝鎏金銅佛立像
專家註釋：比較非常相近鑄造風格、相似的長袍、姿勢，以及背面空心有三個洞。請注意相似的尺寸 (18.4 厘米)。
拍賣比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2021年3月16日，lot 252
價格：USD 162,500（相當今日
EUR 173,000
）
描述：九至十世紀新羅王朝製高麗王朝鎏金銅佛立像
專家註釋：比較非常相近鑄造風格 、相似的長袍、姿勢，以及背面空心和鎏金磨損。請注意尺寸較大 (25.4 厘米)。
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