Page 54 - CHRISTIE'S Buddhist Art Japanese Collections 09/14/17
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822 Small gilt-bronze warrior fgures, such as the current example, were made
as subsidiary fgures for gilt-bronze Buddhist altars. A Tang dynasty altar
A MINIATURE GILT-BRONZE FIGURE of this type in the Seattle Art Museum is illustrated by H. Munsterberg,
OF A GUARDIAN Chinese Buddhist Bronzes, Vermont/Tokyo, 1967, pl. 119, where two small
gilt-bronze guardian fgures can be seen standing at the upper corners of
TANG DYNASTY (AD 618-907) the stand. The guardian on the proper right side of the stand is very similar
to the current fgure.
The muscular fgure is shown with scowling expression and standing in
tribangha on a layered rock-form base, his raised right hand grasping his 唐 鎏金銅天王立像
swirling scarf.
2¬ in. (6.7 cm.) high, wood stand
$2,000-3,000
PROVENANCE
Private collection, Japan, acquired prior to 1930.
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