Ref. 510

SET OF SCULPTURES WITH PRINCESS MAYA (BUDDHA’S MOTHER), AWARDED FOR TWO CHINESE MONKS.
BUDDHIST CULTURE OF CHINA. S XIV-XV.

Figure Princess Maya: 30 cm x 14 cm
Monk figures: 17.5 cm x 8 cm

Set of wood sculptures by the cult of the deified princess Maya, mother of the Buddha.
This type of small altarpieces used to be habitual for the cult in the private domiciles. They used to be formed by the representation of the Mayan mother sitting on a lotus throne, with sacred texts in her hand, and the little Buddha on her lap. It was typical that as a decoration there was a vase in the form of a column and a bird on each side of Maya.
The importance of the set lies in the unusual presence of the figures of two Chinese Buddhist monks, which suggests that the sculptural ensemble comes from a temple. The category of this piece is also confirmed by the remains of golden pigment in the figures of Maya and Buddha, which unfortunately is not preserved in its entirety. The monks, in an attitude of prayer and offering, have lost some of the trains.
The set has been recently restored.

From private collection of London, acquired in the 1960s.

Price: 1,800 €