明十五世紀 銅鎏金喜金剛立像

the figure locked in union with his consort, Nairatmya, his head with eight faces and body with eight pairs of arms and two pairs of legs, the principal hands crossed behind his consort in pajnalinganabhinayamudra holding kapalas containing an elephant and a seated figure in prayer, the remaining hands holding kapalas containing effigies of animals and seated monks in prayer, with Nairatmya holding a kartrika and kapala, both standing on two Maras on a double-lotus base

This rare bronze is in reasonably good condition, but one of the hanging pendants is missing to the front right side of the figure, another to the end of the very central one and another two off his lower right leg. There is also slight damage to one pendant half way down to the back left side of the figure and there are cracks running through two other pendants next to this. There is a slight loss to one of the pendants on the back right face of Hevajra. There is a missing pendant to the crown and a crack running through the left index finger of one Mara and there is also one pendant missing and crack running through the right hand of the other. It is possible that the elephant standing on a kepala at the front right side is a later replacement. There is some areas of minor gilt loss, nicks and scratches to hands, arms, legs and the base. The base plate is missing.
"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."

喜金剛十六臂各持一顱盌（嘎巴拉盌），盌內盛載各種神物，象徵萬物眾生。右邊八手的盌中分別有獅、貓、誦經僧侶、駱駝、馬、公牛、大象、驢，象徵八方天；而左邊八手的顱盌內分別有地母、水神、火神、風神、太陽、月亮、閻王、 財神。每者雙手合十印，且頂戴噶瑪巴式的黑帽，可能受對明初宮廷影響極深的噶舉派藏傳佛教所啟發。本品風格與明初永樂御製雛本一致，例見Speelman收藏，售於香港蘇富比2006年10月7日，編號814。除了衣袍鑄造較厚重及顯明，蓮花底座蓮瓣較寬外，本品與永樂雛本在造型上基本相同。在其他永樂佛像的誕生後（如Speelman收藏大威德金剛像，售於上述拍賣，編號812），永樂以降的喜金剛立像均立於束腰式雙層蓮花座上。北京首都博物館收藏中一金剛持立像作例可茲比較。該例銘有1436年年款，載於《古代佛像藝術精品展》，北京，2005年，圖版58和Michael Henss著《Buddhist Art in Tibet》，烏爾姆，2008年，頁214，圖版36。

此尊喜金剛雙身像，佛父佛母親密相擁，身軀右傾呈戰鬥立姿，環形手臂構成完美的扇形結構。喜金剛與明妃親密相擁，兩者飾有髑髏項串與人頭項鍊。面容神情豐富，據說當雙唇開啟時會射出震盪迴響的宇宙原音⎾吽⏌。佛母名為⎾無我母⏌，是智慧的化身。其左手持嘎巴拉盌勾摟佛父脖頸，右手則揚舉金剛鉞刀。一部第八世紀的印度文獻《喜金剛密續》記載握持嘎巴拉盌的喜金剛，內容完美陳述此尊造像：⎾我乃黝黑猙獰可怖…但內在本質寧靜祥和，深情熱烈的擁抱無我母，安住於平穩安靜的喜悅狀態⏌。有關喜金剛造像的完整論述，請參見Rob Linrothe，《Ruthless Compassion》，倫敦，1999年，頁268-9。