Page 50 - 2020 Nov 30 Christie's Hong Kong Important Chiense Works of Art

3015 Continued

The present gilt-bronze figure of a Buddha is remarkable for its ᚺջ㙁۬᭢ᴽࣻ႞Ӷ䁖卿㛑֍නጔ܋⓷卿⻱ワሻ⊶㙪ǯֿᚺԋឆ㦪㙁⎏
impressively large size. It is an exceptional example of its type, 㤒㞖㠩דՔӶԣ⠢⧻⩢卿㘺։ᚺ㤒㞖㠩༾ވדஶ۬࣊ἃӬ׾㌴ǯ
exhibiting superb casting and fine attention to detail, especially the
elaborate crown, the incised floral design on the edges of the garments ᫉ཉ༾ވדஶ۬㕑㵲᳾࣡卿㦪㙁⠢Ⱞǯ㯔ᏊՆדވ卿㬷⏟㎒⭨卿഍ᄥ㱇
and the dharmachakra, symbol of the Wheel of the Buddhist Law on the
ᶕ卿⏫ൈᙲᝲ卿㫐⏖ᇤਹ卿ف㇬␕⊂卿㵶䁉卿⺧৶卿ഌ⪆Ӵௗ卿ᵐকԋ
soles of the feet.
⏌㰆ד།Ԡ⪹♞ǯ༗㫀に㶂卿㶂᫈ԋᝳ㶌ⅸǯ㶌ⅸڮ㇦ᙻ࢈ង卿৿ջ㧷
The current figure belongs to a small known group of Buddhist images ං߅→卿໬ߪᚺ㖅ἃ᱁リ卿ᛞ㧿㑘ᛮ卿㶌ⅸ㑘ഌǯ㕇ᐠௗ㯅ᅴㄘㅝ卿㯅
of the mid-Ming period that combined both Chinese and Tibetan ऑ१Ǹ6ǹໃᆨ卿⯇὞Ӵௗ⯍⬍߿卿߿⬍㩽ߴǸࢰǹໃ⛾ǯㄘㅝݤ㬖߅
elements. It is interesting to note the stylistic depiction of the full,
rounded face with the unusual hand gesture which appear to be an 㵶ិ⭤㧩ㅗ卿ㅗ⭤⡑ᝳⱤ⢙卿Ӵᗥங㫐⭯߿㢁ཿ㧷卿・⤏⽔㥠ߴ⠢⧻⸥
amalgamation of styles that is unique for Chinese Buddhist image- Ɽ卿ᓚ⊇Իᶴ஠۔⢴㫌ߴᐃᯧǯݥ㒍㑽ஶනǯݦ⮥㖔ᐡ卿㫐ᏛӴௗ⢙⯝
makers of the Ming period, and it would strongly suggest that this 㯳ࣇǯ
massive figure to be a special commission.
ᇖވ㱈কᏛࣇ׹⏭卿᫉ཉ፽ᛓǸᶴ༗ǹՆᙹՆדݯԋԠӬཉǯՆᙹՆד
A similar large ungilt seated Maitreya Buddha, also wearing a crown,
ߎߣᛓ厍ԋഒᯧ㕇ᬚ⏑㙸㚣ד厎ែᙹ㩛㨏ד厎ࢶᙹ༾⊂ד厎㇛ᙹ㩛ᆚ㩜ד厎
is illustrated in The Crucible of Compassion and Wisdom, Special
Exhibition Catalog of the Buddhist Bronzes from the Nitta Group ࢈ᙹӶ⚁Ꮀལד卿भ♑Նᙹד卿ԮघՆᜊൈ׹ǯՆᙹՆדԠ؊ഠᝳՀ♎
Collection at the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1987, p. 214, pl. ᙹᅴ厍ӬǮᛓսᬚ⏑㙸㚣דׅᙻԋഒ卿ݯ୨ᙹ໫⧡୨ד厎ՀǮᛓᨕߛՆדǯ
117, measuring 75.6 cm. high. Two other comparable examples are ՆᙹՆדᛓדᘰᝬ㵶⡯ߣ⎏▵▮ 卿गᝳங໶ᙹཀ㩴؊ഠǯ
known, the first is a gilt-bronze figure of Vairocana in the Royal Ontario
Museum (no. 921.31.30), and the other was sold at Christie’s New
York, 15 September 2011, lot 1383. Both these cited examples are
cast with the hands in abhiseka mudra, palm against palm, commonly
seen in Chinese representations of the Vairocana. A gesture from
esoteric Buddhism, abhiseka mudra represents anointing and initiating
of novices into the Buddhist community. For the present figure, it is
interesting to note the hand gesture is detailed with the curled middle
fingers turned close to the palm but none of the fingers appear to touch
other finger tips, making this seated figure exceptionally rare within the
Buddhist pantheon.

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