Page 270 - Christie's Asia Week March 2024 Chinese Art
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IMPORTANT CHINESE ART INCLUDING THE COLLECTION OF DOROTHY TAPPER GOLDMAN
Property from a Distinguished Private Collection
~1154
A VERY RARE AND FINELY-CAST IMPERIAL GILT- 顯㈥私́珍藏
BRONZE FIGURE OF SEATED AMITAYUS 清康熙 御製鎏金銅無量壽ζ
KANGXI PERIOD (1662-1722)
16q in. (42 cm.) high, softwood stand
$400,000-600,000
As a newly established dynasty, the Qing, who were themselves subsequent victories were the result of their karmic righteousness. In
Manchus and not of Han Chinese descent, relied on the discipline and the following centuries, Mongolian adherence to Tibetan Buddhism
support of other foreign ethnic groups, including the Mongolians and only increased, and the Qing emperors took advantage of this devotion
Tibetans, for their dominance of China proper. In the pursuit of this by lavishly patronizing Buddhist activities in both the capital of Beijing
goal, the Manchus propagated and heavily patronized Tibetan-style and in areas closer to Mongolia. During the reigns of the Kangxi,
Buddhism. As early as the Yuan dynasty, the Mongolians had relied Yongzheng, and Qianlong Emperors, several Tibetan Buddhist temples
on the spiritual wisdom of Tibetan Buddhist masters as guidance in were constructed in Beijing and in Inner Mongolia and filled with
matters both religious and secular. They would consult with Tibetan lamas from Tibet, who increasingly took on administrative roles within
lamas (teachers), for instance, prior to battle, and believed that the secular government.
Fig. 1 An Imperial gilt-bronze figure of Amitayus, Kangxi period (1662-1722), from The Collection
of Peggy and David Rockefeller, sold at Christie’s New York, 10 May 2018, lot 982.
圖ˏ 御製鎏金銅無量壽ζঙ像,清康熙,ρ吉及૯衛Ĥ洛Գ菲勒夫婦珍藏:旅遊及美४文ḵ,
ωૈ得紐☼, 年 月 日,拍品編號
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