Page 63 - Christies Indian and Himalayan Art IRVING collection Sept 24 2020 NYC

THE PROPERTY OF A PRIVATE NEW YORK COLLECTOR

736
A BRONZE FIGURE OF AMITAYUS
TIBETO-CHINESE, 18TH CENTURY
5Ω in. (14 cm.) high
$6,000-8,000

PROVENANCE:
Private collection, New York, 1990s.
LITERATURE:
Himalayan Art Resources, item no. 24625.
Tibetan Buddhism was patronized by the Qing
emperors, particularly the Kangxi Emperor (1662-
1722) and his grandson, the Qianlong Emperor
(1736-1795), both for personal and political
reasons, resulting in a surge in the production of
Buddhist sculpture and painting. During the reign
of Qianlong, the artisans of the Beijing workshops
increasingly emulated sculpture from earlier
Indian, Nepalese, and Tibetan periods, using as
models the bronzes given as gifts from Tibetan
dignitaries to the Qing court. The present figure
is part of a group of bronzes cast in emulation of
earlier sculptures from Northeastern India during
the Pala period, commonly referred to as the Pala
Revival style. As Amiyatus was considered to be
the deity of long life, it has been suggested that
images of the bodhisattva were cast in celebration
of the birthdays of the Emperor and royal family
members.

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