A PAINTED WOOD MANUSCRIPT COVER

Lot details
Finely painted to depict Buddha seated atop an ornate lotus throne in dhyanamudra, the hands held to the chest in dharmachakra mudra, dressed in foliate decorated red robes. The deity is flanked by an assembly of monks and bodhisattvas who listen to him keenly as he delivers his first sermon at Sarnath. The back carved with a beveled edge with scrolling foliate vines.

Provenance: Hardt Auctions, Wuppertal, 23 April 2022, lot 353 (dated 18th century or earlier), sold for EUR 3,000 or approx. EUR 3,400 (adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). The collection of Kristen Tomassi and Axel Dieter Ball, Mallorca, Spain, acquired from the above. Kristen Tomassi, an architect and designer based in Mallorca, was married early in her life to Richard Branson, who was already rising to prominence with Virgin Records. Her enduring partnership was with German entrepreneur and architect Axel Dieter Ball (1942-2026), with whom she co-founded La Residencia in Deià in 1984. The hotel, a family-run haven celebrating art and music, helped shape the luxury hotel scene of Mallorca, where the couple spent most of their lives together until Axel sadly passed away this year. Together, they built an impressive collection of Himalayan art throughout the 1980s and 1990s, purchasing pieces from renowned dealers and auction houses including Rossi & Rossi, David Tremayne, Annapurna, Sotheby’s, and Christie’s. Objects formerly in their collection have been exhibited by the Museum of Asian Art, Hong Kong, and the Art Institute of Chicago, featuring also in the exhibition catalog by Pratapaditya Pal et al., Himalayas – An Aesthetic Adventure (2003).
Condition: Good condition with old wear. Small chips, tiny nicks, expected age cracks, flaking and losses to pigments. The wood with a rich, naturally grown, dark patina.

Weight: 190 g
Dimensions: Size 9 x 28.5 cm

Expert’s note:
The present manuscript cover takes inspiration in both the style of painting and choice of subject from early Nepalese examples which were influenced by the Pala tradition of Northeastern India, see a related earlier cover for an Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita Sutra, with one section depicting the same subject, dated Thakuri-Malla period, 10th-11th century, 5.7 x 56.8 cm, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 1979.511. The lithe and elegantly proportioned figures and their curvy, elongated eyes, can also be traced to India.

The Buddha preaching his first sermon in a deer forest at Sarnath, north of Bodhgaya, where he had experienced enlightenment some weeks prior, is a popular subject in Buddhist art. This moment, known as the Dharmachakra Pravartana or Turning of the Wheel of the Law, marks the foundation of the Buddhist sangha and the beginning of the Buddha’s teaching career.

Manuscript covers of this type not only protected palm-leaf and paper folios from wear but also proclaimed the sanctity of the texts they enclosed. The richly painted imagery of deities and floral motifs transformed these functional objects into portable shrines, underscoring the devotional and ritual importance of the manuscripts within.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s Paris, 8 June 2010, lot 394
Price: EUR 4,375 or approx. EUR 5,600 (for two) adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A pair of painted wooden manuscript covers, Nepal, 16th century
Expert remark: Compare the related form, manner of painting, and size (25 cm).