佛像鉴定鉴赏收藏

尺寸：高27.5cm
年代：14-15世纪
质地：合金铜鎏金
风格：西藏
来源：拍卖会
成交：不详(2018.10)
参阅：香港邦瀚斯
鉴赏：
銅鎏金大輪金剛手像
西藏，十四/十五世紀
喜馬拉雅藝術資源網61741號
古比特佛像网, 编号: 金刚手菩萨:金刚手菩萨094
高27.5釐米（10 7/8英吋）

2,500,000-3,500,000港元

在此尊引人入勝的造像中，金剛手菩薩以本尊形象化現，作為禪修對象護佑修行者增長功德，究竟佛法。由於上師敦珠仁千（約1309-85年）將《金剛手大輪密法》傳授給宗喀巴大師，此教法在格魯派中尤為受到重視。大輪金剛手修法傳承有緒、歷史悠久，據史料記載可追溯到印度大成就者夏瓦利巴和西藏的著名譯師確吉堅贊（11世紀）（佛教數字資源中心網，L8LS14007）。在大輪金剛手的本尊化現中，如此尊懷抱明妃的形象最為殊勝。

蛇是金剛手菩薩的主要標誌物之一，代表主尊平息惡力邪念之能（參見van Alphen, 香港邦瀚斯，2016年11月29日，拍品108號）。然而當金剛手以本尊形象出現時，蛇的角色更為突出，形象上更具張力。此尊金剛手大口飲食蛇毒的樣貌，實乃藏傳佛教造像中最具視覺衝擊力的作品之一。

在這件重要的作品中，匠師完美精湛地呈現了大輪金剛手本尊無與倫比的氣勢。本尊四肢健碩，姿態威嚴勇猛，雙手健壯有力，左手結 無畏印高舉于明妃右側，以珠鏈和盤蛇為飾，兩腿間蛇眼炯炯有神，栩栩如生。本尊與明妃面呈憤怒相，刻畫細緻入微、立體生動。在西藏造像中此類造像以其無以倫比的藝術感染力而備受追捧。

來源
Benny Rustenburg，香港，2006年5月8日
歐洲私人收藏

A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF MAHACHAKRA VAJRAPANI
TIBET, 14TH/15TH CENTURY
Himalayan Art Resources item no.61741
27.5 cm (10 7/8 in.) high

In this enthralling sculpture, Vajrapani manifests as a yidam (meditational deity) - an enlightened being who can be the focus of one's tantric practice, bestowing powers and spiritual attainments. The Mahachakravajrapani Tantra is prominent within the Gelug school, having been passed to Je Tsongkhapa by his life-long mentor, Dondrub Rinchen (c.1309-85). One recorded lineage traces the practice of Mahachakra Vajrapani back to the Indian mahasiddha Shavaripa and the Tibetan translator Chokyi Gyaltsen (11th century) (tbrc.org L8LS14007). Depicted with his consort, this is the most potent meditational form of Mahachakra Vajrapani from which to receive spiritual attainments.

Mahachakra Vajrapani overpowers a snake and bites through its middle. Snakes are key to Vajrapani's wrathful symbolism, conveying his role of subduing harmful forces and converting 'poisonous' emotions into virtue (cf. van Alphen, in Bonhams, Hong Kong, 29 November 2016, lot 108) However, his yidam-form achieves special emphasis, showing him digest a snake's venom, one of the most striking examples of tantric imagery in Tibetan Buddhism.

In this significant example, the sculptor meets Mahachakra Vajrapani's unsparing imagery with equal measure. He casts the bronze densely, producing burly limbs struck in a steadfast pose. The hands are strong, with Vajrapani's abhaya mudra authoritatively thrust forward by his consort's right side. The artist dresses Mahachakra-Vajrapani with rotund beaded swags and snakes with charismatic gazes peering out from between the yidam's legs. He shows nuances between each of the divine couple's fierce expressions, modeling them with painstaking depth and clarity. Such elements typify why Tibetan sculpture of this kind is so lauded for its unyielding power.

Provenance
Benny Rustenburg, Hong Kong, 8 May 2006
Private European Collection