Buddhist Figure from Nepal Sells for $2.49 Million in NewYork

A 13^th-century bronze figure from Nepal sold for around $2.49 million at a Christie’s auction in New York on Tuesday — seven times more than its expected sale price.

The Padmapani was part of a private collection that went under the hammer on Tuesday. Christie’s expected it to sell for up to $350,000. It was bought by an anonymous buyer.

The bronze figure of the Padmapani that sold at Christie’s 

The statuette, which is around 18 inches (45 centimeters) high, is a representation of the Padmapani, one of the many guises of the Buddhist god of compassion, Avalokiteshvara. The Padmapani is typically portrayed with a lotus blossom, here shown on his right shoulder.

This figure stands out for its particularly fine details. It is wearing a tiara and an adorned dhoti, a loose fabric garment traditionally worn by men in South Asia. His right hand is held in a mudra, a ritual hand gesture typical of religious icons in the region. Bronze representations of the Padmapani were common in the Kathmandu Valley, where it was historically one of the most popular deities.

Sales for the collection, which belonged to Doris Wiener, one of the best-known collectors of South Asian art, totaled close to $12.8 million.

Another highlight of the sale was an 11^th-century bronze representation of the Somaskanda, a manifestation of the Hindu god Shiva with his wife, the goddess Parvati, and his son Skanda. The figure, which originates from south India, sold for around $1.8 million.

On Wednesday, more works from the region will be going under the hammer in auctions in New York, which is currently hosting Asia Art week. Sotheby’s and Christie’s will be auctioning more works of classical South Asian art, mostly stone and bronze religious figures.