Hong Kong––A schist figure of Buddha from more than 1,800 years ago sold for HK$8,652,500 at Bonhams Images of Devotion sale in Hong Kong yesterday (2 December) – the top lot of the sale. It carried an estimate of HK$7,000,000-9,000,000.

Edward Wilkinson, Global Head of Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art at Bonhams, commented: "This figure comes from the ancient region of Gandhara, which was once an important centre for trade and religious activities. Carved stone monuments and iconic statuary were created for Buddhist patrons while drawing on Greco-Roman sculptural traditions. The present work is one such example, incorporating the emphasis on naturalism, seen in the treatment of his heavy, monastic robe wrapping around his neck in thick layers and forming U-shaped folds on his legs with a convincing sense of gravity. The Gandharan style later formed the precedent for the earliest Buddhist images in China, via contact and exchange across Central Asian trade routes, and now holds universal appeal among collectors."

The 43-lot sale achieved 83% sold by value. Other notable results of the sale include:

- A Cast Gilt Copper Alloy Panel with Offering Goddesses
Densatil, Central Tibet, 14th Century.
Sold for HK$3,752,500

During the 12th century, a powerful monastic complex of the Kagyu school started to form in Central Tibet, southeast of Lhasa. Its main monastery, Densatil, was built on the final resting place of the great master Phagmodrupa (1110-70). Multiple lavishly decorated memorial stupas were constructed, showcasing the wealth and influence of this religious power. These stupas were created following very similar architectural design, each consisting of six stepped tiers. This panel would have been placed on the fifth tier from the top, joined by fifteen similar panels, each depicting four dancing offering goddesses in high relief. Other surviving examples, now scattered in museums and private collections around the globe, can be reunited into different groups based on style and quality, yet the present piece is arguably among the ones of the highest quality.

- A Gilt Copper Alloy Figure of Maitreya
Tibet, Circa 17th Century
Estimate: HK$1,000,000-1,500,000
Sold for HK$2,877,500, over doubling the pre-sale estimate
Previously in The Nyingjei Lam Collection

- A Brass figure of Hevajra Shri Hevajra Heruka
Northeast India, 11th-12th century
Estimate: HK$800,000-1,200,000
Sold for HK$1,752,500, over doubling the pre-sale estimate
Previously in The Nyingjei Lam Collection