Page 256 - Sothebys Important Chinese Art April 3 2018

This majestic sculpture portrays Green Tara (Syamatara) There are various tales relating to the origin of Tara, but one
represented with a benevolent expression, seated in lalitasana of the more common is that she appeared on a lotus flower on
on a double-lotus pedestal. It represents a clear development a lake formed by the tears of the Bodhisattva of compassion
of the sculptural and iconographic traditions associated Avalokiteshvara. Her Sanskrit name comes from tar, meaning
with the renowned gilt-bronzes of the Yongle and Xuande ‘to cross”, signifying her role in helping to cross the ocean of
periods, and serves as a benchmark for stylistic evaluation existence, and she is also known as the “mother of all Buddhas
of mid-fifteenth century Buddhist works. It is closely related and Bodhisattvas’. The two wives of the Tibetan King, Srong-
to a Zhengtong reign-marked figure of Avalokiteshvara of Tsan-Sgam-Po, one a Nepalese princess, the other Chinese,
smaller size but identical iconography in the Palace Museum were believed to be incarnations of Tara, and this gave rise to
Collection, Beijing, dated to 1441, illustrated in The Complete the two distinct forms: White Tara and Green Tara.
Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Statues of Tibet,
Hong Kong, 2008, p. 232, pl. 221. Compare also another rare
example originally in the collection of Joseph Morak, dated to
1447, sold in these rooms, 7th October 2015, lot 3113.

254 SOTHEBY’S 蘇富比