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Lot Essay
The present figure represents Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, seated in a meditation posture on a double-lotus base, with his hands held in dharmachakra mudra, symbolizing the teaching of the dharma. Lotus buds flank his shoulders, the left supporting a book, representing transcendental wisdom, and the right holding a sword, symbolizing wisdom’s power to cut through ignorance and illusion. The lion, another attribute of Manjushri, is depicted in a reduced size, recumbent before his legs.
The seventeen-character inscription on the present figure is exceedingly rare: Da Ming Zhengtong yiwei Jinchuan Biqiu Changjing Juanzi Minggong zao, meaning "Commissioned by the monk Chang Jing of Jinchuan in the year Jiwei during the reign of Zhengtong of the Ming Dynasty." It identifies the commissioner, location, and exact year of manufacture. A closely related example is a gilt-bronze figure of Akshobya, similar in size and quality (25.6 cm high), from the collection of D.E. Bower, sold by Sotheby's Paris on 10 December 2019, lot 18 (€432,500). These figures likely form part of a series commissioned by the same monk.
Extremely few gilt-bronze Buddhist figures bear a Zhengtong date. The exquisite craftsmanship of this piece reflects the deep veneration of those who commissioned it, as well as the continuation of the Yongle and Xuande style, highlighting the stylistic evolution of early Ming Buddhist sculpture. During the Zhengtong period, Buddhist sculpture remained closely aligned with the artistic traditions of the Yongle and Xuande eras. A small gilt-bronze Vajradhara in the Capital Museum, dated 1436, with a similar crown, earrings, robe style, and facial details to the Shakyamuni Buddha, further confirms this continuity of early Ming style.
The seventeen-character inscription on the present figure is exceedingly rare: Da Ming Zhengtong yiwei Jinchuan Biqiu Changjing Juanzi Minggong zao, meaning "Commissioned by the monk Chang Jing of Jinchuan in the year Jiwei during the reign of Zhengtong of the Ming Dynasty." It identifies the commissioner, location, and exact year of manufacture. A closely related example is a gilt-bronze figure of Akshobya, similar in size and quality (25.6 cm high), from the collection of D.E. Bower, sold by Sotheby's Paris on 10 December 2019, lot 18 (€432,500). These figures likely form part of a series commissioned by the same monk.
Extremely few gilt-bronze Buddhist figures bear a Zhengtong date. The exquisite craftsmanship of this piece reflects the deep veneration of those who commissioned it, as well as the continuation of the Yongle and Xuande style, highlighting the stylistic evolution of early Ming Buddhist sculpture. During the Zhengtong period, Buddhist sculpture remained closely aligned with the artistic traditions of the Yongle and Xuande eras. A small gilt-bronze Vajradhara in the Capital Museum, dated 1436, with a similar crown, earrings, robe style, and facial details to the Shakyamuni Buddha, further confirms this continuity of early Ming style.