Page 110 - Bonhams IMages of Devotion, Hong Kong Nov 30 2022

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A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF AMITAYUS
MING DYNASTY, 17TH CENTURY
Himalayan Art Resources item no. 4709
23.5 cm (9 1/2 in.) high

HKD500,000 - 700,000
明 十七世紀 銅鎏金無量壽佛像

Seated with palms placed together in the gesture of meditation (dhyana mudra)
is Amitayus, the Buddha of Infinite Life, whose gentle countenance reflects his
compassion and desire to save all sentient beings. Unlike his alternate form as
Amitabha, who appears in Chinese art as a Buddha garbed in monastic robes,
Amitayus is represented here with the garments of a bodhisattva, prunus flower
ornaments beautifying his appearance, and remnants of a vase containing the
elixir of immortality in his hands. As evidenced by the Sukhavantivyuhasutra, a
Mahayana text dated to the later 2nd century which was translated and introduced
by Buddhist monks from the Kushan empire, the worship of Amitayus enjoyed a
long-lasting presence in Chinese antiquity from the Eastern Han (25-220) to the
Qing dynasty (1644-1911).

Referencing Amitayus’ ability to grant long life, the artist of this Late Ming gilt
bronze has fittingly emblazoned the chignon with the Chinese character for
longevity, or shou. Such messages, which also promoted for a happy and
successful life, were widely used as decorative motifs on objects and images
during the 16th and 17th centuries due to its shared philosophies among the
Three Popular Religions (for examples, see a Jiajing period blue and white
porcelain jar, sold at Christie’s, New York, 19 September 2014, lot 848 and a Ming
dynasty parcel-gilt bronze jar with ‘Shou’ characters, sold at Sotheby’s, New York,
20 March 2012, lot 73. Thus, it would appear that this bronze was not only made
for worship in a Chinese temple, but also likely belonged to a branch of Mahayana
Buddhism that incorporated together Daoist and Confucian ritual practices.
Although the unique physiognomy of this particular bronze has few precedents in
Chinese images, the robust modelling of his upper torso, together with the soft
and rounded treatment of his eyelids, nose, and chin, suggest its stylistic relation
with works from the 17th century. Compare the gentle expression and lower
garment folds of a Ming dynasty bodhisattva image sold at Christie’s, New York,
21 September 2000, lot 200, as well as a larger Amitayus gilt-bronze with a similar
jewelry arrangement decorating the hair, sold at Sotheby’s, Hong Kong, 3 October
2018, lot 3626.

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