Page 28 - 2019 September 10th Sotheby's Important Chinese and Tibetan Buddhist Art, New York

26 SOTHEBY’S NEW YORK 10 SEPTEMBER 2019 BODIES OF INFINITE LIGHT

306 A GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF AMITABHA

MING DYNASTY, 16TH / 17TH CENTURY

seated in a meditative pose, in vajraparyankasana and the
hands in dhyana mudra, the face with gentle features set in a
serene expression, framed by pendulous ears and tight curls
surmounted by the ushnisha, wearing long, flowing robes
draping over the arms and shoulders revealing the chest incised
with a wan symbol, a ribbon-tied dhoti with floral-chased borders
and hem gathered in neat folds around the waist and legs, wood
stand (2)
Height 7½ in., 19 cm
PROVENANCE
The Chang Foundation Collection.
LITERATURE
Jintongfo zaoxiang tulu/Buddhist Images in Gilt Metal, Taipei,
1993, pl. 10.

The wan symbol, or swastika, inscribed on the figure’s
chest has obscure origins, however before its Buddhist
association, it was first associated with the god Vishnu,
appearing as an auspicious emblem on his chest, as a
representation of his cakra.

Compare the present figure with another gilt-bronze with
similar casting of the head, features, and garments but with
a different mudra, attributed to the Ming dynasty and now
in the Tianjin Antique and Curiosity Company Collection,
illustrated in Jintong foxiang/Gilt Bronze Buddhist
Sculptures, Beijing, 1998, pl. 18.
明十六 / 十七世紀 銅鎏金阿彌陀佛坐像
來源
鴻禧美術館收藏
出版
《金銅佛造像圖錄》，台北，1993年，圖版10

$ 20,000-30,000