~ Voodoo Priestess Estate ~ ©

5" Schist Gautama Buddha Head, Jibin Gandhara (Turkmenistan) 
Muslim Desecrated Buddhist Relic, Circa 400A.D.
 
A Main Library Find
 
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Nearly twenty-three years have now passed since we were called to do an estate that had been closed up for seventeen years!

The Voodoo Estate!

This type of call usually gets us excited as they are a treasure trove.  Located here in Florida, there was no electricity or running water so we rigged our own lighting and in we went.  If you have ever seen the Adams Family you will have some idea as to what we were greeted with!  Then the attorney handling the liquidation gave us some background.

The estate had belonged to an alleged powerful Voodoo Priestess/JooJoo Exorcist, grand daughter of a Marie Laveau, and favored daughter of a Marie Glapion.

These names meant nothing to us, but the late night talk of Voodoo and exorcism in the old mansion was enough for us to spend the night in a hotel and return in the morning to assess the estate.  The rest is history.

Our research has shown that this woman was what she claimed and was indeed descended from a long line of well known Vodoun family originating in New Orleans in the early 1800's.

We were pretty unnerved by this until we discovered they were also devout Catholics!  Although I have to admit this was unlike any Catholic home we have ever been in and some of the items found inside were a little more than disturbing.

There was no feeling of dread or unwelcome in the mansion, however there was quite a bit of contraband and other items we can or will not sell here.

This is one of a few pieces from this estate we will be listing this week, so check our other listings.

We will, upon the new guardian's request, issue a named Letter of Authenticity with each piece from this estate, complying with the terms set forth to us by the estate's attorney.

Some Back Story

This is one of eleven such relics found prominently displayed in antique museum cabinets throughout the Main Library.  It is one of twenty six Buddhist artifacts which were purchased for her on the Pakistan/Afghan border, and shipped to her from Southern India by her associates, believed to have been the LiDiex, but this has not been corroborated.  They were delivered, and entered into her inventory in July of 1959.

This grouping is attributed as being, 'Muslim desecrated relics of Gandhara, circa 400 A.D.', and our own research of these pieces concur with those attributes.

It is assuredly the head from a Gautama Buddha statue that was carved from mottled gray schist that appears indigenous to the region.  The separation point at the neck is consistent with it having been cut and polished after the fact of being knocked from the shoulders of the idol in an effort to make the head free standing, but it was apparently cut straight down with the head on its back in an unsuccessful effort to do so.  When found, it was on a three point stand, similar in construction to the stand shown which is not original to this estate.

The beheading of Buddhist statuary was and is still a common regional Muslim practice that has rendered many other known recovered regional artifacts damaged or destroyed.

The head displays regional and Tibetan influence added by the maker who was most likely a monk who had relocated to a local temple which is also consistent with the region and time period.

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Schist
 
This is a medium-grade metamorphic rock with medium to large grains of mica flakes in a preferred orientation (nearby mica flakes are roughly parallel).  Geological foliation (metamorphic arrangement in layers) with medium to large grained mica flakes in a preferred sheetlike orientation is called schistosity.  It is defined by having more than 50% platy and elongated minerals, often finely interleaved with quartz and feldspar.  It has a preponderance of lamellar (flat, planar) minerals such as mica's, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others.  Quartz often occurs in drawn-out grains to such an extent that a particular form called quartz schist is produced.  Schist is often garnetiferous and forms at a higher temperature with larger mica grains than phyllite.
 
The names of various schists are derived from their mineral constituents.  Schists rich in mica are called mica schists, and include biotite or muscovite.  The individual mineral grains in schist, drawn out into flaky scales by heat and pressure, can be seen by the naked eye.  Schist is characteristically foliated, meaning the individual mineral grains split off easily into flakes or slabs.  The word schist is derived from the Greek word schízein meaning "to split", which is a reference to the ease with which schists can be split along the plane in which the platy minerals lie.  Most schists have been derived from clays and muds which have passed through a series of metamorphic processes involving the production of shales, slates and phyllites as intermediate steps.  Certain schists have been derived from fine-grained igneous rocks such as basalts and tuffs.  Most schists are mica schists, but graphite and chlorite schists are also common.
 
Schists are named for their prominent or perhaps unusual mineral constituents, such as garnet schist, tourmaline schist, glaucophane schist, etc.
 
An amulet charm used in pre-dynastic Egypt, called a Periapt, were made from schist and inscribed with magic words of power.
 
The ornamental bowl from the 1st. Dynasty tomb of Sabu on display in the Cairo Museum is made from schist.
 
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Traces of Buddhism in Turkmenistan

An article published by Ayan Travel tells us;

Centuries ago, in the heart of Central Asia, the ancient city of Merv was a melting pot of diverse cultures and religions.  Buddhism was one of the most important religious teachings that spread here.  Let’s take a journey through time to discover the rich tapestry of faiths that once thrived within its walls.

In the early years of the Common Era, Buddhism found its way to the region, led by the devout Kushan king, Kanishka.  Simultaneously, elements of Indian culture began to permeate Margiana.  Terracotta figurines from the 3rd to 4th centuries, depicting youthful figures with soft features, hint at the influence of Indian sculptural art.  Back in time to Merv, where, from the late 2nd century CE, the seeds of Buddhist philosophy and religion took root.  It seems this ancient city provided fertile ground for the growth of Buddhism, eventually giving rise to a vibrant Buddhist community and the construction of sacred structures.

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The Destruction of Buddhist Artifacts on the Indian Subcontinent
 
Our own research has shown that many Buddhist monasteries were destroyed during the various invasions of the Indian subcontinent, first by Umayyad forces in the first half of the eighth century CE and then by the armies of assorted Islamic Turkic vassal states under the Abbasids from the early eleventh to the mid-thirteenth century CE. The monasteries did not recover from this destruction and, although many Buddhists on the subcontinent subsequently converted to Islam, the majority became absorbed into the general Hindu population.
 
The Turkic invasions appear to have been motivated primarily by considerations of military, political, and economic gain, rather than by religious zeal.  Nevertheless, one cannot dismiss the descriptions, found in Muslim, Buddhist, and Western historical accounts, of the atrocities and religious fanaticism that occurred during these campaigns.  Regardless of what the motives for the destruction might have been, the Buddhist literature of the time does not reveal any further information about the Buddhist view of the Islamic teachings.
 
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Buddhism and the art of Buddhism in this region is a fascinating historical and archaeological study that is far to vast to publish here.  As is the Muslim belief that Buddhism is idolatry and must be destroyed.  These ignorant beliefs are still responsible for countless atrocities in the name of God today.  We wholeheartedly encourage you to research this on your own, and will be more than happy to field any questions and share the findings of our research with the new guardian of this artifact.
 
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Gautama Buddha
 
Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, was born in the sixth century B.C., in what is now modern Nepal.  His father, Suddhodana, was the ruler of the Sakya people and Siddhartha grew up living the extravagant life of a young prince.  According to custom, he married at the age of sixteen.
 
His father had ordered that he live a life of total seclusion, but one day Siddhartha ventured out into the world and was confronted with the reality of the inevitable suffering of life.  The next day, at the age of twenty-nine, he left his kingdom and newborn son to lead an ascetic life and determine a way to relieve universal suffering.  
 
For six years, He submitted himself to rigorous ascetic practices, studying and following different methods of meditation with various religious teachers.  But he was never fully satisfied.  One day, however, he was offered a bowl of rice from a young girl and he accepted it.  In that moment, he realized that physical austerities were not the means to achieve liberation.  From then on, he encouraged people to follow a path of balance rather than extremism.  He called this The Middle Way.
 
That night Siddhartha sat under the Bodhi tree, and meditated until dawn.  He purified his mind of all defilements and attained enlightenment at the age of thirty-five, thus earning the title Buddha, or "Enlightened One." For the remainder of his eighty years, the Buddha preached the Dharma in an effort to help other sentient beings reach enlightenment.
 
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But Back to this Buddha Head

 The most obvious attribute of this head is the serene expression of the Buddha conveyed to us by the artist who carved Him.  His downward cast facial expression is a masterpiece of serenity.

The head is not freestanding and measures approximately 5" x 3 1/4" x 3".

He weighs 2 lbs., 8 oz.

It is certainly an unusual antique Buddhist artifact with an extraordinary provenance that is much nicer than the photographs are able to depict.

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The Stand

The stand is not original to the estate.  The stand this head was found with was separated from it during packing long ago and no one here remembers which one it was.  If we have any stands left from this estate they are still packed away, but we believe they are all gone.

Knowing this, we have been searching for nice stands and have found quite a few, this one among them.  It is also the only one we have that is a perfect fit for this Buddha head.

To the best of our knowledge, the wolf is rarely, if ever depicted in Buddhist art or mythology and certainly no correlation was found between them in the journals recovered from this estate.

Wolves do appear in a Buddhist story about a wolf who kept the Uposatha precepts, including non-killing, until he saw a goat and then gave up.  Wolves are also a subject of philosophical contrast in a book called Buddha and the Wolf: Lessons from the Wild on Love, Death and Happiness.  The book's author uses his experience with a domesticated wolf to explore the philosophical differences between wolves and humans.

Wolves are also a symbol of many things, including loyalty, power and instinct.

In indigenous culture, wolves represent loyalty, strong family ties, and good communication.  As a spirit animal, wolves symbolize power, guardianship, teamwork, and wildness.  Wolves are known for being intuitive and having a supernatural instinct that can detect dangerous situations.

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The stand is a multi-piece solid pewter casting of three howling wolves that measures approximately 2 11/16" in height z 2 9/16" x 2 9/16" and weighing 13 oz.

It is marked © SP1 1993 and comps are selling for $45.  It is included here at no additional charge.

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We have been contacted and visited by a number of people who were interested in the items from this estate since our first batch was listed.

Among the buyers have been known psychics and practitioners. More than one, after adorning themselves or handling their purchase, stated "this is a woman of power!"  Many of our customers, after receiving items from this estate have reported dream contacts and other unexplained phenomenon.

Unusual, authentic Voodoo Priestess Estate piece and at a bargain price!

This is truly a rare opportunity to own anything with attributes to this estate.  The majority of this estate is now gone. Most of what we had left, and it was considerable, has been split up and sold to a couple of private, foreign collector practitioners and will never be available to the public again.  We made the decision to do this as we have had some pretty strange visits from even stranger individuals and there have been enough unexplained phenomenon going on in the warehouse where her things were kept that many of our employees refused to go in there.

The pieces offered and sold here are some of the few remaining pieces that will ever be offered to the public.

Nice addition to any collection, altar or decor that displays really well.

Really doesn't get any better than this.

There are 14 photographs below to tell the rest of this tale.

Buyer to pay $15.85 for Insured Ground Shipping with Tracking handling and lagniappe.

We Combine Shipping.

Rest assured your order will be carefully packed to withstand the onslaught of the most deranged of carriers.

 

International Buyers, drop us an email and we will try to accommodate you.

 Payment is due at listing end.

Check our other listings and sign up for our newsletter as new items are usually listed daily.

©Text and Photos Copyright 2021-2024 bushidobuce, all rights reserved.

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Props are not part of the deal, but you knew that already!

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