Lot 1A
Ming Wood Shakyamuni Buddha - Triratna Touching Gesture
Ming Wood Shakyamuni Buddha - Triratna Touching Gesture
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East Asia, China, Ming Dynasty, ca. 16th to 17th century CE. A vision of stillness carved in wood and time, this painted sculpture of Shakyamuni Buddha evokes the moment of enlightenment beneath the Bodhi tree - the axis mundi of Buddhist thought. Seated in dhyanasana (full lotus), the Buddha forms the dhyana mudra with both hands resting in his lap, fingertips touching to shape the sacred triratna, or "triple jewel" - the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. This meditative gesture reflects deep inner balance and the unity of path, teacher, and community. His gently downcast eyes and softly modeled features radiate a serene, inward gaze. The robes ripple in layered folds across his body and legs, the sculptor's hand translating spiritual grace into material rhythm. Delicate traces of red, blue, and black pigment still cling to the surface, hints of the statue's original luminous polychromy. Size: 12" L x 22.5" W x 40.3" H (30.5 cm x 57.2 cm x 102.4 cm)
The head is crowned with rows of tightly coiled hair, rendered in the classic "snail shell" curls - a traditional feature of Buddhist iconography. According to legend, 108 snails came to protect the meditating Buddha from the heat of the midday sun, their shells forming a natural helmet of devotion. Over time, these spiraling coils came to symbolize the awakened mind, disciplined and composed, and the spirals themselves reflect the infinite inward turning of meditative thought. Atop the head sits the ushnisha, a cranial protuberance that marks the Buddha's transcendent wisdom.
The deeply pierced and contoured base on which the Buddha sits is carved to resemble the gnarled, organic rootwork of the sacred Bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa). This visual cue binds the image to the foundational narrative of the Buddha's awakening in Bodh Gaya. Here, the tree is not mere backdrop but pedestal - the roots supporting his serenity as if earth itself upheld his enlightenment.
An open cavity at the reverse indicates the figure may once have enshrined texts, relics, or consecrated materials, placed during a ritual known as kaiguang ("opening of the light"). Such acts imbued the image with spiritual vitality, transforming the sculpture into a sanctified presence for temple or household devotion.
During the 16th and 17th centuries under the Ming Dynasty, Buddhist art flourished across court-sponsored and local temple contexts alike. Wooden sculptures like this were central to devotional practice, offering the faithful a tangible conduit to the divine. Ming sculptors favored gentle naturalism and human expression, a style embodied in this figure's quiet majesty. Though time has hollowed the back and softened its painted surface, the sculpture retains its luminous calm. Rooted in the tree of awakening and crowned by sacred curls, this Buddha sits as a vessel of wisdom, patience, and the enduring stillness at the heart of the Dharma.
Historically, carved figural statues held profound cultural and religious significance in China, serving not merely as decoration but as vital conduits for spiritual inspiration, solace, and ancestral veneration. These sacred objects populated homes, clan halls, temples, and public spaces, where altars and shrines honored familial ancestors and a pantheon of deities. The size and opulence of these dedicated spaces reflected a family's standing, with even modest homes featuring altars for expressing Confucian piety through ancestor worship. Wealthier families often dedicated entire rooms to elaborate shrines, housing images and ancestor tablets - inscribed placards acting as spiritual seats for the deceased, sometimes even found in temple halls where monks offered prayers for their well-being in the afterlife.
Central to imbuing these carvings with spiritual potency was the "eye opening ceremony," a consecration ritual performed by a senior priest or monk. This process, involving practices like dotting the eyes with cinnabar, pricking them, or anointing them with liquids, was believed to awaken the statue's senses, enabling it to perceive and respond to devotees' prayers. Before this ritual, a cavity carved into the statue's back was filled with sacred documents, a dated paper script honoring the donors and commemorating the event, prayers, and symbolic items representing inner organs, then sealed. The completed, veiled statue was then solemnly carried to the temple for the complex consecration, a communal event believed to imbue the inert carving with life force (chi or qi) and invite the deity's spirit to reside within.
Provenance: private Los Angeles, California, USA collection, acquired from 1990 - 2005
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#193622
- Condition: Professionally repaired and with break lines and fissures visible, as well as some chipping and small losses in areas. Nicks, abrasions, and old insect holes to surface. Otherwise, nice presentation with liberal remains of pigment and patina to surface.
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