Page 85 - Bonham's Asian Art London November 12, 2015

88 Provenance: the Jeannette Claude Jongen The modeling is directly inspired by early
A RARE GILT-COPPER ALLOY FIGURE collection of Buddhist Art fifteenth century Chinese bronzes of the
OF MANJUSRI Yongle period that were known to Tibetan
Tibet, 15th century Published and Illustrated: A.Neven, Etudes artists through the numerous donations from
The figure cast seated in dhyanasana on a D’Art Lamaique et de L’Himalaya, Brussels, the Imperial court to Tibetan monasteries.
double-lotus base, the arms in dharamcakra 1978, p.109, pl.6 (the catalogue is offered as The treatment of the robes that fall in loose
mudra, holding two stalks of uptala lotus and part of the lot). folds over the legs, the lotuses at the
wearing a graceful dhoti and a shawl on the shoulders, and the fine elongated lotus petals
shoulders, adorned with various jewellery, the 來源： Jeannette Claude Jongen夫人珍藏 of the pedestal, are all inspired by these early
face with a benevolent expression and hair 佛教藝術品 Ming masterpieces. The use of turquoise to
arranged in a high chignon surrounded by embellish the heavier jewellery, on the other
a five-leaf tiara, the base sealed and incised 收錄及出版： A.Neven, Etudes D’Art hand, denotes the Tibetan taste. Compare
with a double vajra. Lamaique et de L’Himalaya, 布魯塞爾, with a Tibetan fifteenth century Vajradhara
18.5cm (7 2/8in) high 1978年, 頁120, 圖26 now in the Palace Museum, Beijing, see
（此拍品將附贈圖錄一冊） Cultural Relics of Tibetan Buddhism Collected
£5,000 - 7,000 in the Qing Palace, Beijing, 1992, p.86, pl.58.
HK$59,000 - 82,000 Also compare the crown type and treatment
CNY48,000 - 68,000 of the lotus base with a Vajradhara illustrated
in U. von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures
西藏十五世紀 赤銅鎏金文殊菩薩坐像 Tibet and China, Hong Kong, 1981, no.119F
p.443.

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