AN IVORY FIGURE OF SYAMATARA


MING DYNASTY, 15TH CENTURYHimalayan Art Resources item no.61785 12 cm (4 3/4 in.) high
|Syamatara gently extends her right hand in the boon-granting gesture, offering protection from fear and danger. Her benevolent gaze alone suffices to convey her compassionate nature. The sculptor has adopted a daring design for a fragile material like ivory – hollowing out several areas around the delicate lotus stalks and ribbons, leaving standalone elements barely connected to each other. Even the thin lotus stem held in the deity's left hand is completely detached from her arm. Clearly, the work is a sophisticated execution of high artistic skill.   A close stylistic parallel, a gilt bronze Avalokiteshvara from the Zhengtong period (1435-49) in the Qing Palace Collection, supports a 15th-century date for this ivory Tara (see Zangchuan fojiao zaoxiang, Hong Kong, 2008, p.232, no.221). Despite different mediums, they share similar three-jeweled crown leaves, upturned side ribbons, flower-roundel earrings, beaded necklaces with loops and tassels, fluid scarves, lotus buds and stalks, and prominent folds along the legs. Also closely comparable are the flame-tipped wide petals on the base. Although the ivory petals appear flatter, they are of the same type as the bronze, which derived from a narrower version seen in the Xuande Period (1425-35). 象牙綠度母像 明朝，十五世紀喜馬拉雅藝術資源網61785號 高12釐米（4 3/4英吋）   1,500,000-1,800,000港元     此尊綠度母右手施予願印，庇佑信眾於憂慮及厄難之中，其祥和目光流露慈悲佛性底蘊。雖然象牙材質脆弱、不易雕刻，匠人以精湛的技藝在蓮莖及髮帶處大膽鏤空，細部僅接於毫厘之間。綠度母左手所持蓮莖完全與手臂脫離，技巧高超。 比照另一尊風格相近的清宮舊藏正統年間（1435-49）銅鎏金觀音像（見《藏傳佛教造像》，香港，2008年，頁232，221號），本作品製作年份應為十五世紀。雖然兩者所用媒材不同，但均有風格相似的三葉寶冠、上揚的冠側結帶、圓形花狀耳環、流蘇頸飾、絲滑的帔帛、及如出一轍的腿處衣摺。底座上寬厚的花瓣亦十分雷同。牙雕的花瓣形狀雖較為扁平，但與銅像的花瓣屬同類型態，此種蓮瓣由宣德年間（1425-35）的較窄瓣形衍生而來。