7th Mar, 2025 11:00
A Museum Treasury of Buddhist and Himalayan Art: The Peter Kienzle-Hardt Collection Part I
33
A LARGE AND EXCEPTIONAL PROCESSIONAL HEAD OF DIPANKARA BUDDHA, SAMYAK DAN, NEPAL, CIRCA 16TH-18TH CENTURY
This lot is a museum deaccession and is therefore offered without reserve
€1,500
€3,000
A buyer’s premium of 30.00% (including VAT) applies to the hammer price of this lot if your bid is successful.
The head composed of layers of plaster on jute, vibrantly painted in red and modeled with a meditative expression marked by downcast eyes under arched brows, centered by an urna inlaid in turquoise, his bow-shaped lips forming a calm smile, flanked by elongated earlobes, the hair neatly arranged over a domed ushnisha. The sides of the head mounted with loops to suspend ornamental paraphernalia.
Provenance: The Kienzle Family Collection, Stuttgart, Germany. Acquired between 1950 and 1985 by siblings Else (1912-2006), Reinhold (1917-2008), and Dr. Horst Kienzle (1924-2019), during their extensive travels in Asia. Subsequently inherited by Dr. Horst Kienzle and bequeathed to the Museum für Asiatische Kunst, Radevormwald, Germany. Released through museum deaccession in 2024. The Kienzle siblings were avid travelers and passionate collectors of Asian and Islamic art. During their travels, the Kienzle’s sought out and explored temples, monasteries, and markets, always trying to find the best pieces wherever they went, investing large sums of money and forging lasting relationships to ensure they could acquire them. Their fervor and success in this pursuit is not only demonstrated by their collection but further recorded in correspondences between Horst Kienzle and several noted dignitaries, businesses and individuals in Nepal and Ladakh. Their collection had gained renown by the 1970s, but the Kienzle’s stopped acquiring new pieces around 1985. Almost thirty years later, the collection was moved to the Museum für Asiatische Kunst, Radevormwald, opened by Peter Hardt in 2014. Before his death in 2019, Horst Kienzle bequeathed his entire property to Peter Hardt and legally adopted him as his son, who has been using the name Peter Kienzle-Hardt ever since.
Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Obvious losses, expected fatigue cracks, flaking to pigment, old repairs, patches and touchups. The painting has been renewed many times across the centuries. Overall a fascinating object, with a striking emanation.
Dimensions: Height 56 cm (excl. stand), 66 cm (incl. stand)
Mounted on an associated stand. (2)
Many of the Buddha’s sensuous features, including the pointed nose, tall forehead, and heart-shaped profile, reflect the skilled hand of a Newari craftsman from the Early Malla period (13th to 15th centuries).
Samyak Dan is a prominent Buddhist festival celebrated by the Newar community in Nepal's Kathmandu Valley. The festival pays homage to Dipankara Buddha, a figure who, according to Buddhist tradition, predicted the future enlightenment of Lord Shakyamuni Buddha. The timing of the festival varies among the valley's three main cities. In Kathmandu, it is held every 12 years, while in Lalitpur (Patan), it occurs every five years, and in Bhaktapur, it is celebrated annually around Maghe Sankranti in January. During the festival, numerous statues of Dipankara Buddha are displayed in public squares. Devotees offer alms such as food and monetary gifts to the Buddhas and the monastic community, emphasizing generosity and spiritual devotion.
The head composed of layers of plaster on jute, vibrantly painted in red and modeled with a meditative expression marked by downcast eyes under arched brows, centered by an urna inlaid in turquoise, his bow-shaped lips forming a calm smile, flanked by elongated earlobes, the hair neatly arranged over a domed ushnisha. The sides of the head mounted with loops to suspend ornamental paraphernalia.
Provenance: The Kienzle Family Collection, Stuttgart, Germany. Acquired between 1950 and 1985 by siblings Else (1912-2006), Reinhold (1917-2008), and Dr. Horst Kienzle (1924-2019), during their extensive travels in Asia. Subsequently inherited by Dr. Horst Kienzle and bequeathed to the Museum für Asiatische Kunst, Radevormwald, Germany. Released through museum deaccession in 2024. The Kienzle siblings were avid travelers and passionate collectors of Asian and Islamic art. During their travels, the Kienzle’s sought out and explored temples, monasteries, and markets, always trying to find the best pieces wherever they went, investing large sums of money and forging lasting relationships to ensure they could acquire them. Their fervor and success in this pursuit is not only demonstrated by their collection but further recorded in correspondences between Horst Kienzle and several noted dignitaries, businesses and individuals in Nepal and Ladakh. Their collection had gained renown by the 1970s, but the Kienzle’s stopped acquiring new pieces around 1985. Almost thirty years later, the collection was moved to the Museum für Asiatische Kunst, Radevormwald, opened by Peter Hardt in 2014. Before his death in 2019, Horst Kienzle bequeathed his entire property to Peter Hardt and legally adopted him as his son, who has been using the name Peter Kienzle-Hardt ever since.
Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Obvious losses, expected fatigue cracks, flaking to pigment, old repairs, patches and touchups. The painting has been renewed many times across the centuries. Overall a fascinating object, with a striking emanation.
Dimensions: Height 56 cm (excl. stand), 66 cm (incl. stand)
Mounted on an associated stand. (2)
Many of the Buddha’s sensuous features, including the pointed nose, tall forehead, and heart-shaped profile, reflect the skilled hand of a Newari craftsman from the Early Malla period (13th to 15th centuries).
Samyak Dan is a prominent Buddhist festival celebrated by the Newar community in Nepal's Kathmandu Valley. The festival pays homage to Dipankara Buddha, a figure who, according to Buddhist tradition, predicted the future enlightenment of Lord Shakyamuni Buddha. The timing of the festival varies among the valley's three main cities. In Kathmandu, it is held every 12 years, while in Lalitpur (Patan), it occurs every five years, and in Bhaktapur, it is celebrated annually around Maghe Sankranti in January. During the festival, numerous statues of Dipankara Buddha are displayed in public squares. Devotees offer alms such as food and monetary gifts to the Buddhas and the monastic community, emphasizing generosity and spiritual devotion.
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Auction: A Museum Treasury of Buddhist and Himalayan Art: The Peter Kienzle-Hardt Collection Part I, 7th Mar, 2025
NEW: WATCH OUR VIDEO ABOUT THE PROVENANCE
This treasury of art, assembled over decades by the Kienzle siblings and perserved by their sole heir Peter Kienzle-Hardt, reflects not only their fascination with Asian culture but also their respect for the heritage of the regions they explored. Learn more.
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