Page 104 - Christie's, materpieces of Buddhist Art December 2, 2015 HK

2909

AN EXTREMELY RARE GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF fig. 1
VASUDHARA A gilt-bronze figure of Sadaksari, Yongle six-character presentation mark and of the
period (1402-1424)
CHINA, YONGLE INCISED SIX-CHARACTER PRESENTATION MARK AND
OF THE PERIOD (1402-1424) (圖一) 明永樂 鎏金銅四臂觀音像 《大明永樂年施》款

The deity of wealth is seated in lalitasana on a double-lotus base, holding a fruit,
vase, and book in her six hands. She is dressed in a voluminous dhoti and adorned
with various jewelry and a billowing sash draped over the shoulders. The face is
tilted slightly, with heavy-lidded, downcast eyes, and the hair is tied in a chignon
and secured with a foliate tiara.

9√ in. (25 cm.) high

PROVENANCE
Property from an Important Private Asian Collection

EXHIBITED
Chang Foundation, Buddhist Images in Gilt Metal, Taipei, 1993, no. 60.
National Museum of Chinese History, Treasures from the Chang Foundation,
Beijing, 1996, no. 19

LITERATURE
Buddhist Image in Gilt Metal, Chang Foundation, Taipei, 1993, no. 60.
Treasures from the Chang Foundation, National Museum of Chinese History,
Beijing, 1996, no. 19

Images of female deities with a Yongle six-character presentation mark are
infrequently offered on the market; compare the present figure with a smaller
gilt-bronze figure of Shyama Tara, also with a Yongle six-character mark, from
The Speelman Collection of Important Early Ming Buddhist Bronzes, sold at
Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 7 October 2006, lot 806. Seated multi-armed figures are
also relatively rare; see, also, a smaller gilt-bronze figure of Shadakshari sold at
Christie’s Hong Kong, 28 May 2014, lot 3518. (fig. 1)

明永樂 鎏金銅六臂持世菩薩坐像 《大明永樂年施》六字楷書刻款

菩薩遊戲坐姿於蓮座之上，右腳伸出，下踏蓮台，手中分持果物，淨瓶，經書
等。下身繫長裙，肩披飄帶，穿戴珠寶瓔珞。臉微傾，雙眼垂視，髮髻高聳，結
於五葉冠後。

來源
亞洲重要私人收藏

展覽
鴻禧美術館，《金銅佛造像圖錄》，台北，1993年，圖版60號
中國歷史博物館，《鴻禧集珍》，北京，1996年，圖版19號

著錄
《金銅佛造像圖錄》，鴻禧美術館，台北，1993年，圖版60號
《鴻禧集珍：一九九六年北京中國歷史博物館》，鴻禧美術館，台北，1996年，
圖版19號

公開市場上帶永樂款的鎏金銅女神像極其少見，比較Speelman舊藏一尊
帶永樂款的綠度母像，尺寸較小，2006年10月7日於香港蘇富比拍賣，
拍品806號。多臂的金銅坐像亦屬少見，參考一尊四臂觀音像，2014年
5月28日於香港佳士得拍賣，拍品3518號(圖一)。

102 Masterpieces of Buddhist Art 大俱足 — 經典亞洲佛教藝術