蒙古，紮那巴劄爾十七世紀末 銅鎏金綠度母坐像

la divinité majestueuse assise en lalitasana, son pied gauche posé sur une fleur de lotus émergeant de la partie inférieure du double trône lotiforme, la main droite en varada mudra, signifiant l'accomplissement de gestes ordinaires et sublimes et la gauche en kartari mudra, le geste du refuge, chacune tenant une tige des lotus fleurissant autour de ses épaules, le visage serein aux lèvres charnues et aux yeux en amande agrémenté de l'urna sous une chevelure retenue en un demi-chignon derrière un ornement pointu abritant une image miniature du Bouddha Amitabha, vêtue d'un dhoti finement incisé de fleurs et ajusté par une ceinture de perles, arborant des bijoux précieux, le visage, le haut du corps et les pieds dorés à froid, la base scellée décorée d'un double vajra entrecroisé dans un cercle doré

1954年得自Jean-Claude Moreau-Gobard，巴黎
後家族傳承

The figure is in overall very good condition. The base is sealed with the original base plate chased and gilt with a double vajra to the centre, and has not been opened in the past. There are traces of original soot covering parts of the gilding on the lotus base and flowers where the figure has not been handled. There are beautifully incised details on the figure's dhoti and the lotus base. While the base, the dhoti, jewellery, flowers and and crown of the figure are fire-gilt, the figure's skin on the body, arms, legs, feet, face and neck are painted with a thin layer of gesso which acts as the base for the cold-painted gilding. This cold-painted gilding has worn off in some parts on the front of the body and back, her lower legs, the soles of her feet, hands with the whitish gesso and in some areas the fire-gilding underneath is visible. The fire-gilding on the toes of her left foot resting on the lotus flower and the tips of her right hand is worn away revealing the rich dark bronze underneath. There is a ca. 2.5cm wide rectangular filled in casting flaw to the lower part of the lotus base on the back which is contemporaneous when the figure was made. There are traces of blue pigment visible in the recessed areas of the hair. The eyebrows and eyes show traces of black pigment and the lips traces of red pigment. Overall this figure is in its original condition since it was acquired in 1954 from the well-known French dealer Moreau-Gobard. It is beautifully cast, heavy in weight, and elegant in the subtle lines and movement of the body which show the Indian influence.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

本像鑄造精巧，出自蒙古十七世紀精神領袖、工藝名家紮那巴劄爾（公元1635-1723年）之作坊，盡展其美學風格典型。其作坊造像神韻靈動，本品即為其中佳例，極其珍罕，銅鎏金妙工巧製，細微處一絲不苟，通體鎏金，對比袍服飾物處磨光明亮。本像女性形像突出，兼顯度母慈悲，姿態祥和，頭部斜傾，凝神若思，韶顏端麗，深蘊對世人之憐憫。

紮那巴劄爾之度母造像，堪稱經典，現知銅鎏金例作少於二十三件，其中兩品藏於烏蘭巴托Fine Arts Museum及Bogdo Khan Palace Museum，造型碩大，詳見N. Tsultem，《The Eminent Mongolian Sculptor: G. Zanabazar》，烏蘭巴托，1982年，頁65-8，圖版45及49。紮那巴劄爾之精神先驅乃藏人多羅那他（公元1575-1635年），其人全才多藝，對度母崇拜之研究深入，著作討論早期佛教經文與文獻，其中一籍論及度母崇拜之古印度起源。紮那巴劄爾則令度母等女性菩薩更為深入民心，其造像常帶早期印度風格元素，籍此向佛教之印度起源致敬。本品度母蓮座底部分成數層，此風格即可溯源自早期印度造像。可參考一來自孟加拉之十一世紀度母造像，現藏於Dacca Museum，見Nihar Ranjan Ray、Karl Khandalavala及Sadashiv Gorakshar，《Eastern Indian Bronzes》，新德里，1986年，圖版234。另可比較一東印度綠度母作例，鑄於約十二世紀，出自拉薩布達拉宮收藏，見Ulrich von Schroeder，《Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet》，香港，2001年，卷1，頁319，圖版110C。

採取紮那巴劄爾風格之蒙古十八及十九世紀銅像甚為普遍，Rietberg Museum藏有一例，為觀音菩薩造像，載於Helmut Uhlig，《On the Path to Enlightenment: The Berti Aschmann Foundation of Tibetan Art at the Museum Rietberg》，蘇黎世，1995年，頁103，編號55。出自紮那巴劄爾作坊之例則極其珍罕，於蒙古及中國博物館、寺院及皇宮以外之例寥若晨星，極其難得。西方博物館收藏罕例，可參考一十七世紀彌勒菩薩立像，底座紋飾與本品蓮座下層相近，現藏於Arthur M. Sackler Museum，載於Gilles Béguin及Dorjiin Dashbaldan，《Trésors de Mongolie》，巴黎，1993年，頁122，圖2。如此造像精緻無匹，巧奪天工，與本品同屬紮那巴劄爾作坊之傳世雅作。

此像寶冠上飾無量光佛，而度母與觀音菩薩淵源深厚，兩者均化身自無量光佛。信徒認為虔奉度母，可脫輪迴之苦。據西藏及蒙古傳說，觀音菩薩見眾生苦難，落淚成湖，度母現身自湖中一朵蓮花花蕾，面容諧雅祥和，如萬蓮綻放。本像莊嚴諧雅，臻善至美，展現佛家對萬物眾生之慈悲，不愧為蒙古工藝大師傑作。