A CAST AND REPOUSSÉ GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF A BODHISATTVA

QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795)

Details

A CAST AND REPOUSSÉ GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF A BODHISATTVA
QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795)
The figure sits in dhyanasana on a double-lotus base with both hands held in vitarkamudra. He is clad in a flowing dhoti with hems incised with a foliate pattern, and is adorned with various jewelry. The face is centered by a third eye at the forehead, and the hair is pulled into a tall chignon behind the repoussé tiara. The base is sealed with a wooden plate.
14 5/8 in. (37.1 cm.) high, wood box.

Provenance

Private collection, Tokyo, early 20th century.

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Lot Essay

The present work exhibits many characteristics common to the Buddhist workshops of the Qianlong period, such as the combination of cast and repoussé parts, the languid and slightly effeminate treatment of the face and body, and the tightly waisted double-lotus base with broad petals. The Qing court patronage of Buddhism that begun under the Kangxi Emperor reached epic proportions under his grandson, the Qianlong Emperor. The Buddhist centers of Beijing, Rehol, and Dolonnor produced thousands upon thousands of images to keep up with the demand of the numerous temples in and outside the capital.

Compare the larger but stylistically related figure of Eleven-Headed Avalokiteshvara sold at Christie’s New York, 18 March 2016, lot 1425.

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