Dora Tan
Head of Sale, Specialist
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Lot 1040
A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF AMITAYUS MING DYNASTY, 17TH CENTURY
Amended
30 November 2022, 18:00 HKT
Hong Kong, Six Pacific PlaceHK$500,000 - HK$700,000
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Mark Rasmussen
International Director
Joan Yip
International Specialist
Jing Wen
Cataloguer
A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF AMITAYUS
MING DYNASTY, 17TH CENTURY
Himalayan Art Resources item no. 4709
23.5 cm (9 1/2 in.) high
Himalayan Art Resources item no. 4709
23.5 cm (9 1/2 in.) high
Footnotes
明 十七世紀 銅鎏金無量壽佛像
Seated with palms placed together in the gesture of meditation (dhyana mudra) is Amitayus, the Buddha of Infinite Life, whose gentle countenance reflects his compassion and desire to save all sentient beings. Unlike his alternate form as Amitabha, who appears in Chinese art as a Buddha garbed in monastic robes, Amitayus is represented here with the garments of a bodhisattva, prunus flower ornaments beautifying his appearance, and remnants of a vase containing the elixir of immortality in his hands. As evidenced by the Sukhavantivyuhasutra, a Mahayana text dated to the later 2nd century which was translated and introduced by Buddhist monks from the Kushan empire, the worship of Amitayus enjoyed a long-lasting presence in Chinese antiquity from the Eastern Han (25-220) to the Qing dynasty (1644-1911).
Referencing Amitayus' ability to grant long life, the artist of this Late Ming gilt bronze has fittingly emblazoned the chignon with the Chinese character for longevity, or shou. Such messages, which also promoted for a happy and successful life, were widely used as decorative motifs on objects and images during the 16th and 17th centuries due to its shared philosophies among the Three Popular Religions (for examples, see a Jiajing period blue and white porcelain jar, sold at Christie's, New York, 19 September 2014, lot 848 and a Ming dynasty parcel-gilt bronze jar with 'Shou' characters, sold at Sotheby's, New York, 20 March 2012, lot 73). Thus, it would appear that this bronze was not only made for worship in a Chinese temple, but also likely belonged to a branch of Mahayana Buddhism that incorporated together Daoist and Confucian ritual practices. Although the unique physiognomy of this particular bronze has few precedents in Chinese images, the robust modelling of his upper torso, together with the soft and rounded treatment of his eyelids, nose, and chin, suggest its stylistic relation with works from the 17th century. Compare the gentle expression and lower garment folds of a Ming dynasty bodhisattva image sold at Christie's, New York, 21 September 2000, lot 200, as well as a larger Amitayus gilt-bronze with a similar jewelry arrangement decorating the hair, sold at Sotheby's, Hong Kong, 3 October 2018, lot 3626.
Saleroom notices
Provenance:
Christie's, London, 19 June 1967, lot 120
Collection of the Soame Jenyns (1904-1976)
Thence by descent within the family