Page 32 - Christie's Hong Kong May 31, 2017 Fine Buddhist Works of Art

2808 Continued

The present figure belongs to an exceptional group of early 觀音半跏趺坐於蓮座上，手持祈禱印，下身繫裙，肩有飄帶，身戴
bronzes made by the Imperial workshops of the early 15th 珠寶瓔珞，頭戴五葉寶冠，整體鑄造精細華美，金水飽滿，體現了
century, characterised by their excellent quality of casting, rich 明初宮廷藏傳佛像精湛的水平。其生動自然的姿態亦可見於同期的
gilding, and the outstanding execution of details. The portrayal 其他造像上，如Berti Aschmann西藏藝術基金會所藏的一尊宣德款尺
of figure in a state of animation is a particular point of note, and 寸較大的菩薩像（21公分），見《On the Path to Enlightenment》，
is comparable to a number of similar Avalokitesvara images cast 蘇黎世，頁123，圖版72號，其雙腿左跪右屈，雙手舉於胸前，臉龐
in a kneeling pose from this period, such as the larger Xuande- 豐腴雍容，風格與此尊觀音十分相近。該圖錄作者認為其面容應是
marked gilt-bronze Bodhisattva (21 cm. high), illustrated in On 模傚當時的皇家成員所造。
the Path to Enlightenment, The Berti Aschmann Foundation of
Tibetan Art at the Museum Rietberg, Zurich, p. 123, no. 72. 此尊觀音裙上的花卉及瓔珞等細節極為突出精緻，類似的表現手法
The Berti Aschmann bronze, which has been suggested that it 可見於幾尊宣德款造像，參考凡‧施羅德著《印度西藏銅雕》，香
is conceivably representing a member of the Chinese imperial 港，1981年，頁524-527，圖148B、148D、148G、149A及149F。而
family, ibid, and the present figure share similarities in the 另外一個特點是其頭上的重髻，此於明初宮廷造像上較罕見，但於
depiction of the rounded facial features and personal adornments. 一尊永樂款鎏金銅摩利支天像上亦可見得，見香港蘇富比，2010年
10月7日，拍品2141號。
The superb quality of casting is particularly evident through the
details of the dhoti, the level of exquisiteness is comparable to
a number of Xuande-marked examples, illustrated by U. von
Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1981, pp. 524-527,
figs. 148B, 148D, 148G and 149A, and 149F.

The double-domed topknot seen on the current figure is rarely
represented on figures of this period and seems to only appear
on those of the highest casting quality. Compare to a finely
cast Yongle-marked gilt-bronze figure of Marichi with a nearly
identical topknot, sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 7 October
2010, lot 2141.

30