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Lot Essay
The present Buddha is depicted in monastic form, as indicated by his simple robes and cropped hair. While not definitive on their own, these features, along with the urna, elongated earlobes, snail-shell curls, webbed fingers, and serene expression, are all traditional attributes of a Buddha figure. Among the many Buddhas venerated in Chinese Buddhism, the most commonly represented are Shakyamuni (the Historical Buddha), Amitabha (the Buddha of Infinite Light), and Bhaisajyaguru (the Medicine Buddha). Each can be identified by specific iconographic features or hand gestures, known as mudras.
This present figure is identified as Shakyamuni, the Historical Buddha, through his use of the bhumisparshamudra, or "earth-touching gesture," which symbolizes the moment of his enlightenment, when he called the earth to witness his spiritual triumph. In this pose, the left hand rests in the lap, palm upward, in the meditative dhyanamudra, while the right hand reaches down over the right knee, palm inward. Although Shakyamuni may be shown in a variety of mudras, the bhumisparshamudra remains the most iconic and widely recognized.
Shakyamuni was born as Prince Siddhartha Gautama around 563 BC, in the Shakya clan in what is now Nepal. Despite his royal status, he renounced worldly life and all claim to the throne, embracing a spiritual path. After attaining enlightenment, he preached the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. Upon his passing around 483 BC, at the age of eighty, he entered nirvana.
The Buddha is seated upon a large, tiered lotus pedestal rising from swirling waves carved in low relief, bordered by a post-and-rail balustrade, each post topped with a lotus-bud finial. This ensemble rests atop a hexagonal plinth whose form and bracketed apron recall the elegant bases of fine Ming dynasty hardwood furniture. The statue’s grand scale and refined casting suggest it may have served as the central figure in a triad, possibly commissioned by a prominent patron for a major temple.
For comparison, see a gilt-bronze Buddhist triad, dated to the 16th–17th century and measuring 78 cm in height, sold at Christie’s Paris, 16 December 2022, lot 91.
This present figure is identified as Shakyamuni, the Historical Buddha, through his use of the bhumisparshamudra, or "earth-touching gesture," which symbolizes the moment of his enlightenment, when he called the earth to witness his spiritual triumph. In this pose, the left hand rests in the lap, palm upward, in the meditative dhyanamudra, while the right hand reaches down over the right knee, palm inward. Although Shakyamuni may be shown in a variety of mudras, the bhumisparshamudra remains the most iconic and widely recognized.
Shakyamuni was born as Prince Siddhartha Gautama around 563 BC, in the Shakya clan in what is now Nepal. Despite his royal status, he renounced worldly life and all claim to the throne, embracing a spiritual path. After attaining enlightenment, he preached the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. Upon his passing around 483 BC, at the age of eighty, he entered nirvana.
The Buddha is seated upon a large, tiered lotus pedestal rising from swirling waves carved in low relief, bordered by a post-and-rail balustrade, each post topped with a lotus-bud finial. This ensemble rests atop a hexagonal plinth whose form and bracketed apron recall the elegant bases of fine Ming dynasty hardwood furniture. The statue’s grand scale and refined casting suggest it may have served as the central figure in a triad, possibly commissioned by a prominent patron for a major temple.
For comparison, see a gilt-bronze Buddhist triad, dated to the 16th–17th century and measuring 78 cm in height, sold at Christie’s Paris, 16 December 2022, lot 91.