Page 154 - Christie's Important Chinese Works of Art, May 31 to June 1, 2023 Hong Kong

3083 Continued

Vajrasattva, whose name translates as 'Adamantine Being', is also known For Yongle-marked figures of Vajrasattva, see an example (18.4 cm.) from
as the Buddha of Purification, and is one of the most important deities the Speelman collection, sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 7 October 2006,
in the Tibetan Buddhist pantheon. Vajrasattva's attributes, the vajra and lot 801, another (17.7 cm.) sold at Christie's New York, 17 September 2008,
ghanta, symbolising compassion and wisdom, but also the male and lot 587, and one (18 cm.) in the Berti Aschmann Collection, illustrated by
female aspects, are held at the chest and waist, and corresponding to H. Uhlig, On the Path to Enlightenment, Museum Reitberg Zurich, 1995,
tantric method, the deity is shown holding the vajra in the right hand, and no. 22. Compare also to a Yongle-marked gilt-bronze figure of Vajradhara
the ghanta in the left. from the same collection, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 30 May 2022,
lot 2885 (fig. 1).
During the Yuan Dynasty in the 13 and 14 centuries, the authority of
th
th
Mongol rulers had become closely associated with Tibetan Buddhist 此尊神態安祥莊嚴的金剛蕯埵坐像是宣德朝鎏金銅佛像中罕見的傑作。許
or Lamaist rituals. At the beginning of the 15 century, the Buddhist 多學者和鑑賞家認為在十五世紀初期宮廷鎏金銅佛造像工藝已達最高的水
th
fervour of the Ming court encouraged a cultural exchange between Tibet
and China through Imperial patronage. Bronze sculptures in the Tibeto- 平，永宣宮廷造像在中國歷史上製作最為精美。雖然永宣兩朝宮廷造像工
Chinese style were produced during the reigns of Emperor Yongle (1403- 藝相當，但傳世品中宣德朝造像比永樂朝造像要少得多，此尊金剛蕯埵坐
1424) and Emperor Xuande (1426-1435), and are highly distinguished for 像，固甚為珍罕。
their unsurpassed craftsmanship, overall refinement and gracefulness.
Both Emperors bestowed generous patronage to Buddhist monasteries 明初宮廷鎏金銅佛造像，應為朝廷賞賜予西藏高僧的禮物，並在皇室中已
and artistic ateliers, fostering the production of artworks depicting Tibetan
Buddhist deities and imagery in a highly refined style, executed with the 被供奉。本尊金剛蕯埵坐像應為同期近似例中尺寸最大一尊。比較兩尊尺寸
highest level of technical mastery. Gilt bronzes were commissioned from 較小的宣德款鎏金銅金剛蕯埵坐像，一尊2000年3月22日於紐約佳士得拍
the Imperial workshops in Beijing for personal religious practices and as 賣，拍品96號（24.2公分），另一尊2010年5月31日於香港佳士得拍賣，拍
gifts for the many Tibetan emissaries invited to the court. 品1960號。
Relatively fewer examples bearing the reign mark of the following period,
Xuande, exist and the present example is stylistically very closely related 永樂款鎏金銅金剛蕯埵坐像可參考Speelman舊藏一尊（18.4公分），
to its Yongle predecessors. The present figure would have been made 2006年10月7日於香港蘇富比拍賣，拍品801號，紐約佳士得2008年
at the Imperial ateliers in Beijing, most probably during the early phase 9月17日拍賣一尊（17.7公分），拍品801號，及Berti Aschmann珍藏一尊
of the period by the same craftsmen who continued their work from （18公分），見《On the Path to Enlightenment》，蘇黎世，1995年，
the Yongle period. The present figure appears to be one of the largest
Xuande-marked figures of Vajrasattva recorded. Compare with two 編號22號。另比較一尊來自相同收藏的永樂款鎏金銅金剛總持坐像，
smaller Xuande-marked figures of Vajrasattva, one (24.2 cm. high) sold 2022年5月30日於香港佳士得拍賣，拍品2885號（圖一）。
at Christie's New York, 22 March 2000, lot 96, the other (17.7 cm.) sold at
Christie’s Hong Kong, 31 May 2010, lot 1960.

fig. 1 Sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 May 2022, lot 2885
圖一 香港佳士得，2022年5月30日，拍品2885號

152