TIBET XVIe - XVIIe SIÈCLE

= Gilded bronze statue with hard stone inlays representing Mahavairocana seated in vajrasana on a double lotiform base, hands in dhyana mudra holding two stems, dressed in a fine dhoti fanning out on the base, adorned with numerous jewels. The Buddha represented with four faces surmounted by two other heads, the last one wearing a high bun adorned with jewels. The base not sealed. H. 28.5 cm PROVENANCE Purchased in June 1997 from the Kubera gallery, Nice. Collection of Mr. and Mrs. R. NOTE Mahavairochana occupies a singular place in the Buddhist pantheon. He is considered a supreme Buddha ("The Great Solar Buddha of Light and Truth"), personification of the Absolute, but also as the spiritualization of Gautama Buddha in the Buddhist Law. He plays a fundamental role in the history of the development of Tantric Buddhism. As such, his iconography differs from that of other Buddhas. He can be represented adorned with jewelry, wearing a crown, sometimes holding a wheel in his hands in dhyana mudra. CONDITION REPORT Wear to the gilt, stems are missing, some inlays are missing, the base is unsealed, scratches, small shock to the back, traces of blue pigment in the hair