Lot details
The domed body raised on a waisted, stepped base encircled by lotus petal and scrolling bands with the midsection having four niches housing the Buddhas of the four directions. The square harmika surmounted by a tiered spire culminating in a finial of sun and moon discs.
Inscription: To each side of the tiered base, inscribed with the mantra.
Provenance: From the private collection of John Jessen Hansen, Denmark.
Condition: Overall good condition with expected wear, minor age cracks, few nicks, small losses, flaking and losses to lacquer, few old repairs.
Weight: 5.6 kg
Dimensions: Height 74 cm
Stupas form an important category in Himalayan Buddhist art, as they are memorials to the enlightenment of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. Approaching the end of his life, the Buddha asked that his remains be cremated and spread across the eight kingdoms of his followers in India and Nepal. The form of the stupa was derived from the domed mounds of earth that entombed the relics of the Buddha, and for centuries before the development of iconic images of the Buddha, the circumambulation or worship of the stupa was one of the ways to venerate the Buddha. Over time the stupa assumed many forms across many cultures.
The set of icons that appears most conspicuously on the exterior of this stupa is known as the Buddhas of the Four Directions. These four Buddhas refer to the Ratnasambhava Buddha in the south, the Amitabha Buddha in the west, the Amoghasiddhi Buddha in the north, and the Akṣhobhya Buddha in the east. The image of each Buddha is located on the side of the shaft facing the cardinal direction with which the Buddha is associated. Together with the Vairocana Buddha, the group comprises the Five Wisdom Buddhas that constitute the Diamond World Mandala in the tantric tradition.
Literature comparison:
Compare a related bronze stupa with four seated Buddhas, dated to the 19th century, 29 cm high, in the British Museum, registration number 1928,0515.2.
Details
- Title : A LARGE CARVED AND LACQUERED WOOD ‘FOUR BUDDHA’ DIRECTIONAL STUPA
- Year : A 18TH-19TH CENTURY
- Classification : Cultural object
- Medium : Wood
- Dimension : Weight: 5.6 kg, Dimensions: Height 74 cm
- Accession No : Lot 7 - HS0626
- Collection : Zacke
- Acquisition Method : Actioned
- Status : Buy now for €910.00 I Until 31st Dec, 2026