A LARGE BRONZE FIGURE OF MAITREYA, PALA REVIVAL

A LARGE BRONZE FIGURE OF MAITREYA, PALA REVIVAL
Tibet, late 19th to first half of 20th century. Heavily cast, standing in samabhanga on a double lotus pedestal with a beaded rim, incised with scrolling designs along the base. He is holding in a lotus stem in his right hand which curls up his arm opening to a large blossom supporting a kundika at his shoulder. Wearing a short dhoti tied at the waist by a sash with beaded jewelry and a central floret clasp, his bare arms and chest are adorned with finely beaded jewelry with tassels and floret medallions.
Provenance:
From a private collection in Germany.
Condition:
Good condition with minor wear, casting flaws, small nicks, and minor dents.
Weight: 5,910 g
Dimensions: Height 56.2 cm
His serene face set with almond-shaped eyes and full lips. Finely incised, his curled secured by a foliat tiara and gathered in a tall, multi-tiered chignon surmounted by a lotus blossom.
The presence of the kundika
vase crowning the resplendent lotus flower by his left shoulder identifies this idealized young prince as the future Buddha Maitreya. Although equally vital to popular Buddhist practice, standing Maitreya images are relatively rare by comparison to more common bronzes of Avalokiteshvara Padmapani.
Maitreya
, also known as the Buddha of the Future, may be considered a Bodhisattva according to the sutras, or a Buddha according to the tantras. In Tibet, when represented as a Bodhisattva, he may be depicted standing or seated in European style with the feet resting on a small lotus throne. The princely appearance of this figure is one of the most popular manifestations of Maitreya.