A LARGE BRONZE MANDALA PETAL
Northeastern India or Nepal, 12th-13th century. Cast as a lotus petal, the exterior with a seated deity holding an alms bowl and a staff above a stupa, each in relief and surrounded by neatly incised figures, animals, and auspicious symbols, the interior with Yamantaka and Vajravarahi, each standing in tribhanga atop a prostrate figure, wearing a skull garland and beaded jewelry, and four-armed with an attribute in each hand, and with incised geometric decorations.

Provenance: From the important private collection of Jochen and Herbert Kienzle, and thence by descent in the same family. A private collector, acquired from the above. Jochen (1925-2002) and Herbert (1931-1997) Kienzle were sons of Herbert Otto Kienzle (1887-1954), whose father Jakob (1859-1935) was a German watchmaker, who founded Kienzle Apparate, a German manufacturer of data processing equipment. Jochen and Herbert took over management of the company after their father's death in 1954 and pioneered the use of computer systems for commercial office-based applications in Germany. From 1965 until 1986, the brothers assembled a well-known and highly regarded collection of East Asian and Tibetan art.
Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, small nicks, minor dents, light scratches. Fine, naturally grown, dark patina.

Weight: 430.0 g
Dimensions: Length 21 cm

This fragment was once part of a lotiform mandala with articulated petals that close to form a lotus bud. First conceived in northeastern India during the Pala period, very few examples remain today, let alone in the size of the present lot.

Literature comparison: Compare a complete lotus mandala from Nepal and dated to the 13th-14th century, in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum, accession number M.88.228. For a smaller and incomplete Pala-period example in the Pan Asian Collection, see P. Pal, The Sensuous Immortals, 1977, p. 96-97, cat. no. 57.

Auction result comparison: Compare a complete lotus mandala from Northeastern India and dated 11th-12th century at Christie's New York in Indian and Southeast Asian Art on 22 March 2011, lot 382, sold for USD 62,500, and another dated 13th century at Christie's New York in Indian and Southeast Asian Art on 14 September 2010, lot 61, sold for USD 122,500.


大型青銅曼陀羅花瓣
印度東北部或尼泊爾，十二至十三世紀。成蓮瓣狀，外部浮雕為坐在佛塔上的手持化齋缽和手杖的天神，四周分佈著人物、動物和吉祥紋飾，內部為大威德金剛和金剛亥母，分別呈三屈式，身著頭骨花環和串珠首飾，四臂上的每隻隻手都拿著一個法器，並飾幾何紋飾。

來源：重要Jochen 與Herbert Kienzle私人收藏，在同一家族收藏至今；私人藏家購於上述收藏。Jochen (1925-2002) 與 Herbert (1931-1997) Kienzle 是 Herbert Otto Kienzle (1887-1954) 的兒子，他的父親 Jakob (1859-1935) 曾是一位德國製錶師，他創立了德國Kienzle數據處理設備公司。Jochen 和 Herbert 於 1954 年父親去世後接管了公司，並率先在德國將計算機系統用於商業辦公應用。 1965 年到 1986 年間，兄弟倆收集了一批著名且備受推崇的東亞和西藏藝術收藏品。
品相：狀態極好，與年齡相稱。 大面積磨損、小刻痕、輕微凹痕、輕微劃痕。 自然生長的深色包漿非常細膩。

重量：430.0 克
尺寸：長 21 厘米

拍賣結果比較：比較一件十一至十二世紀來自印度東北部的曼陀羅蓮花，見紐約佳士得Indian and Southeast Asian Art 2011年3月22日 lot 382, 售價USD 62,500；另一件十三世紀的，見紐約佳士得Indian and Southeast Asian Art 2010年9月14日lot 61, 售價USD 122,500。