TIBET, 15TH-16TH CENTURY

Buddha is represented with a peaceful expression and downcast eyes, pendulous earlobes, and hands positioned in bhumisparsamudra. According to common legend, after the Buddha overcame Mara's temptations, he touched the Earth to affirm his enlightenment and declare his freedom. This gesture, often called the Earth-touching gesture, symbolizes the Earth as his witness, underscoring his dedication to the truth and the sacredness of the material world. He is seated in dhyanasana over a double-lotus base and wearing a diaphanous sanghati with hair in curls over the ushnisha and topped with a knop.

The present lot hails from the collection of Alfred Byrd Graf (1901-2001), a renowned German botanist and world traveler, dedicated his life to horticulture and plant exploration. He discovered over 100 new plant species, including notable varieties of Dracaena, Sansevieria, and the first white African violet, meticulously documenting them in an illustrated book series. Throughout his career, he embarked on numerous expeditions across the continents, seeking new species from New Guinea to Mount Kilimanjaro -- “a wall in [his home] displayed a map of the world with a pin dot for every place he and his wife, had gone plant hunting. Few areas were left dotless” (W. Saxton, Alfred Graf, 100, Botanist and Author of Plant Books, New York Times, 2002.). Byrd is known to have savored the ornamental usage of plants in Asia and had a deep appreciation for accompanying local sculptural and craft traditions.