Page 108 - Bonhams, Fine Chinese Art, London November 3, 2022

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A RARE GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF AVALOKITESHVARA Thanks to the enormous stores they have amassed, bodhisattvas are
15th century able to assist others through the transfer of meritorious karma to those
The deity finely cast seated in rajalilasana (royal ease), each hands in need, a concept known in Sanskrit as parinamana.
holding the ends of a lotus stem, extending up the arms to flank
the shoulders, the graceful figure wearing an elegantly draped dhoti Bodhisattvas are presented in the guise of an early Indian prince, a
secured with a sash and elaborate jewellery including necklaces, reference to Siddhartha Gautama’s worldly status before he became
armlets, large circular earrings and a foliate tiara beneath an artfully the Historical Buddha Shakyamuni, implying that just as Siddhartha (c.
arranged chignon, base unsealed. 563–483 BC), who was born a crown prince, became a Buddha, so
18.5cm (7 2/8in) high. will bodhisattvas eventually become Buddhas, once all sentient beings
have attained enlightenment.
£40,000 - 60,000
CNY310,000 - 470,000 Suggesting both tranquillity and a relaxed withdrawal from the world,
the Royal Ease pose implies that the figure so seated is at peace with
both world and self and is engaged in contemplation. The pose of
十五世紀 銅鎏金觀音像 Royal Ease, the literal translation of the Sanskrit terms lalitasana, traces
its origins to ancient India. A crossbar roundel from the stone stupa of
This very fine sculpture of Avalokiteshvara is particularly rare. It displays Amaravati in the British Museum, London, depicts King Suddhodana,
finesse and mastery of detail, embodying the sophisticated nuances the Buddha’s father, so seated during a visit to Queen Maya, the
of expression in the Buddhist imagery created during the 15th century. Buddha’s mother, in the Asoka Grove in Lumbini, thus giving literal
The figure radiates compassion with his downward gaze and gentle association to the term ‘pose of Royal Ease’.
expression- the essential quality of the bodhisattva. Avalokiteshvara,
known as the ‘Infinitely Compassionate Being’ and ‘Protector of the The elaborate jewellery and the sinuous body of the present figure
World’ is the subject of the twenty-four chapter of the Lotus Sutra, in closely compare with a gilt-bronze figure of Padmapani, Ming dynasty,
which he attempts to save all beings from the suffering of the world. 16th century, in the Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio, illustrated by
U.von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1981, p.530,
Meaning ‘enlightened being’, bodhisattvas attained enlightenment fig.151F.
but selflessly postponed entry into nirvana in order to assist other
sentient beings in attaining enlightenment and thereby release from
the samsara cycle of birth and rebirth. Bodhisattvas thus embody the
Mahayana Buddhist ideal of delivering all living creatures from suffering.

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
106 | BONHAMS please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.