 | | Lot No. | | *** | | Description: | A superb and rare Imperial Chinese gilt-bronze figure of Avalokitesvara, Xuande mark and period, 1426-1435, The jewelled and crowned Bodhisattva seated in ?lalitasana?, on a double-lotus throne, with one foot resting on a lotus flower, the right hand in ?varada? mudra, a tiny image of Amitabha within the crown, each hand holding a fully opened lotus, adorned with beaded necklaces, pendant earrings and bracelets, the throne engraved with a six character mark, the gilt base sealed with an incised visavajra 26.5cm high, base 17cm wide **See ?Mind Transforming Treasures, A Selection of 100 Buddhist Works of Art?, Chung Tai Museum, 2009, cat no 18, pp72, colour plate p73 for an almost identical figure: also see Sotheby?s Hk, 7/10/2010, ?Ming Imperial Bronzes?, lot 2145 for another almost identical figure; Also ? Von Schroeder ?Buddhist Sculpture In Tibet? Vol Two: ?Tibet and China?, pl 359B, pages 1282-83 for an almost identical figure of Avalokitesvara, Xuande period, (25.3cm) This collection was formed by descendants of the Australian vendor, whose great-great grandfather was based in Peking and Shanghai between 1850-1870, where he held a high diplomatic position and it would have been at this time that he acquired the important Chinese artworks in this collection. | | Estimate: | *** | | Price: | *** | | Category: | Antiquities — Asian | |
