Footnotes

• The inscription along the foot of the base translated:
  
  "With a body blue in color,
  The right hand pressed to the ground,
  The left upraised in a threatening gesture, seated in the sattva posture;
  To the One reversing the Ganga, I bow! Mangalam."
  
  We are grateful to Jeff Watt for his assistance with translating the inscription.
  
  Virupa, the Lord of Yoga, is venerated foremost in magical attainments among the 84 mahasiddhas of India. He is pivotal within all traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. In the Sakya, Virupa is typically depicted in one or all of the six prescirbed forms that follow the major events in his life story. The Sakya iconographic convention for depicting Virupa is to have the right hand raised for depicting the narrative of stopping the sun in the sky. Seen here, the left hand is raised for the narrative of stopping the Ganges river.
  
  The remaining fine details, such as his superbly articulated topknot, indicate the high level of craftsmanship afforded this small, but remarkable sculpture. It is a portrait bronze of consummate charisma. The sumptuous, buttery patina suggests this was a highly treasured personal image of devotion. With its raised details rubbed smooth by prolonged ritual handling and ablutions, the bronze's sculptural beauty is enhanced by the imprint of those that venerated it for generations.
  
  Two related examples of Virupa in the Museum Rietberg are published in Uhlig, On the Path to Enlightenment, Zurich, 1995, pp.179, nos.122-3. A third, formerly of the Goldman collection, was sold at Sotheby's, New York, 21 March 2002, lot 132. Finally, an example likely from the same workshop was sold at Christie's, New York, 22 March 2000, lot 58.
  
  Published
  Philip Rawson, Tantra, London, 1971, no.222.
  Roberto Vitali, Arte Himalayana, Milan, 1979, no.94.
  Ulrich von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1981, p.468, no.128.
  
  Provenance
  John Duggar and David Medalla, before 1971
  Eskenazi, Milan by 1982
  Private European Collection since 1982
  
  
  銅錯銀畢魯巴像
  西藏，十五世紀
  喜馬拉雅藝術資源網89471號
  高 12.7 釐米 （5 英寸）
  
  500,000 - 700,000 港元
  
  造像底座下方刻有銘文，譯為：
  
  "藍色身軀，
  右手觸地，
  左手高舉以示威嚇，薩埵坐姿；
  頂禮逆轉恆河之神！曼哈拉姆。"
  
  謹在此特別鳴謝 Jeff Watt 協助翻譯此處銘文。
  
  在印度八十四大成就者中，瑜伽士畢魯巴在法力造詣方面最受崇拜。其在藏傳佛教的所有傳統派系中都舉足輕重。薩迦派一般從六種形態中選擇一種或全部六種刻畫畢魯巴，這些形態反映了他一生當中的重要事件。在薩迦派圖像傳統中，如果畢魯巴右手舉起，則意在表現其阻止太陽起落的故事情景。如果左手舉起，則表現其令恆河靜止的故事情景。
  
  此尊造像小巧而精美， 制作技藝高超，其精細束發等細節刻畫淋漓盡致。是一尊富於魅力的歷史人物造像。包漿圓潤油亮，充滿光澤，表明其曾為私人崇拜之用，深受珍惜與喜愛。原有的細節經歷長期的儀式和洗禮被打磨平滑，在世世代代的供奉之下，造像之美愈發突顯。
  
  相關的兩尊畢魯巴作品現藏於雷特博爾格博物館，可見於 Uhlig 編著的On the Path to Enlightenment，蘇黎世，1995 年，頁179，122-123 號。第三尊對照作品為 Goldman舊藏，於 2002 年 3 月 21 日在紐約蘇富比售出，拍品132號。最後，另一尊可能與本拍品出自同一作坊的造像於 2000 年 3 月 22 日在紐約佳士得售出，拍品 58號。
  
  著錄
  Philip Rawson，Tantra，倫敦，1971 年，222 號。
  Roberto Vitali，Arte Himalayana，米蘭，1979 年，94 號。
  烏爾裡希·馮·施羅德，印度與西藏的銅造像，香港，1981 年，頁468，128 號。
  
  來源
  John Duggar 與 David Medalla，1971 年以前
  Eskenazi，米蘭，至1982 年
  歐洲私人收藏，1982 年至今