Property from Various Owners
A large bronze seated Buddha
Ming Dynasty
The Amitabha Buddha crisply cast with prominent urna above a slightly aquiline nose, eyes serenely downcast, pendulous earlobes framing a full face beneath a coiffure of tight snail curls and prominent ushnisha, the robe overhanging both shoulders carefully chased with floral designs along the hem and his undergarment held in place by a bow-tied belt below the chest marked with a svastika, the chakras incised to the soles of both upturned feet visible as he sits in dhyanasana with his hands in dhyana mudra; some surfaces showing traces of red pigment and gilt.
19 3/4in (40.2cm) high
The Amitabha Buddha crisply cast with prominent urna above a slightly aquiline nose, eyes serenely downcast, pendulous earlobes framing a full face beneath a coiffure of tight snail curls and prominent ushnisha, the robe overhanging both shoulders carefully chased with floral designs along the hem and his undergarment held in place by a bow-tied belt below the chest marked with a svastika, the chakras incised to the soles of both upturned feet visible as he sits in dhyanasana with his hands in dhyana mudra; some surfaces showing traces of red pigment and gilt.
19 3/4in (40.2cm) high
Sold for
US$ 266,000
inc. premium
Footnotes
- The peaceful posture and gesture of dhyana portrayed in the present lot is that of meditation, or as it is more commonly transliterated via the Japanese, 'Zen (ch. Chan).' Though it is not easy to identify this figure definitively, that posture, as well as the ubiquity in Chinese communities then as well as now of a syncretic version of 'Pure Land' and 'Chan/Zen' Buddhism, makes Amitabha a likely candidate here over the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. Further, the floral motifs in the current lot's attire are consonant with the Amitabha Buddha and His Western Paradise's traditionally close iconographic association with the lotus.
For a similar example of a bronze Buddha also dated to the Ming dynasty, see lot 43 from Sotheby's London sale of May 16th, 2007. Both that example and the present lot are characterized by a full elegant face, prominent 'pearl' in the ushnisha, and crisply and elaborately detailed attire.
Auction Notices
- Please note the correct height of this statue: 19 3/4in and 50cm
Category: Asian Art
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