Page 56 - March 17 2017 Chinese Art NYC, Christies

PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATE OF HERBERT MAX
BR AT TER

1032
A BRONZE FIGURE OF A BODHISATTVA

MING DYNASTY (1368-1644)
The bodhisattva wears a high, peaked crown and
is seated in dhyanasana on top of a double-lotus
pedestal with the right hand raised in vitarka
mudra, the gesture of teaching, whilst the left
hand holds a small spherical jewel. Both hands
are holding a lotus stem bearing fowers at the
shoulders and each fower supports a precious
object. The fgure has traces of gilding, mostly on
the body and the pedestal.
9æ in. (24.8 cm.) high

$20,000-30,000

PROVENANCE

Acquired in 1921, and thence by descent.

Born in 1900, Mr. Herbert Max Bratter spent his
life exploring the globe and making scholarly
contributions to the world of economics and the
global gold and silver market. A well-known
expert on gold and silver and a proud member
of The Circumnavigator’s Club, Mr. Bratter
traveled extensively and lived in China in the early
1900s. Serving as a statistician in the Chinese
Government Bureau of Economic Information,
Mr. Bratter later went on to become an economic
analyst for the U.S. Department of Commerce
and later for the Treasury, and was a member of
the American Economic Mission to the Far East.
It is during this time in 1921 that Mr. Bratter’s
records show he acquired the above lot.

The author of over 125 pamphlets, newspaper
and magazine articles, Mr. Bratter was a
prolifc writer and scholar. The later part of his
life (1930-1974) was spent as a Washington
correspondent, during which time he and his wife
were active in Washington society which included
attending multiple events at the Roosevelt
White House. Many of his personal materials,
including writings, press releases, hand written
notes and memoranda between himself and
various government or congressional staf and
members of the U.S. Congress are now stored in
the Smithsonian Institute in the archives of the
National Museum of American History; see “The
Herbert M. Bratter Collection, 1890s-1975,” Sova.
si.edu. Smithsonian Institute, Web. 2012.
明 銅菩薩坐像

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