Page 47 - CHRISTIE'S Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art 09/14 - 15 / 17

THE PROPERTY OF A PRIVATE NEW YORK COLLECTOR

927

A PARCEL-GILT BRONZE FIGURE
OF BUDDHA
18TH CENTURY

The Buddha sits in dhyanasana on a double-lotus
base with his hands held in dharmachakra mudra.
He is dressed in fowing robes, the hems of which
are incised with a foliate pattern, and the face has
a benevolent expression below a tall ushnisha
surmounted by a small fame. The chest and face
are cold painted in gold and pigments.

11Ω in. (29.2 cm.) high

$20,000-30,000

PROVENANCE

Acquired in Hong Kong, 1980s.

Buddhism was the state religion of the Qing
dynasty, and the Qianlong Emperor, much like
his predecessors Yongzheng and Kangxi, was
a devout practitioner of the faith and partly
responsible for its strong growth during the 18th
century. Of particular interest to the Qianlong
Emperor was Tibetan Buddhism, and perhaps
the pinnacle of his Tibetan Buddhist activities
came in 1780, the year in which he celebrated
his 70th birthday, when the Panchen Lama came
to both Jehol and Beijing, and bestowed upon
the emperor the Mahakala and Chakrasamvara
initiations. The rituals for these coincided with his
birthday and indicated that Qianlong had formally
‘entered the Buddhist realm.’ Qianlong’s powerful
devotion to Buddhism was readily carried over
into works of art made during his reign, as
is evident in the present gilt-bronze fgure of
Buddha.

清十八世紀 銅局部鎏金佛坐像

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