Page 144 - 2021 March 17th, Indian and Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art, Christie's New York City

454
A GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF PADMAPANI LOKESHVARA
TIBET OR CHINA, 17TH-18TH CENTURY
10 in. (25.4 cm.) high
$20,000-30,000
PROVENANCE:
Collection of J.J. Klejman, before 1974.
Sotheby Parke-Bernet, New York, 26 October 1974, lot 2.
LITERATURE:
Himalayan Art Resources, item no. 24646.

西藏或內地 十七/十八世紀 鎏金銅蓮華手觀音坐像
來源:
J.J. Klejman珍藏，1974年前。
紐約蘇富比 （Parke-Bernet），1974年10月26日，拍品2。
出版：
“喜馬拉雅藝術資源”（Himalayan Art Resources），編號24646。

The newly established Qing dynasty, themselves Manchus, relied
heavily on the support of other foreign ethnic groups within China,
particularly Tibetans and Mongolians, for their reign. In pursuit of this
goal, the Manchus heavily patronized Tibetan-style Buddhism, leading
the Kangxi Emperor (r.1661-1722) himself to eventually become a
devout Buddhist and admirer of the Mongolian lama and master artist,
Zanabazar (1635-1723). Under the Kangxi Emperor, Zanabazar oversaw
the construction of several Buddhist monasteries in Inner Mongolia and
Beijing, an endeavor and tradition of artistic patronage that continued
after both figures’ time under the Yongzheng (r.1722-1735) and Qianlong
(r. 1735-1796) Emperors.
Bronze image foundries associated with these new monasteries came
to be heavily influenced by the Zanabazar school’s style. Elements of the
present figure show strong Mongolian influence, including the overall
richly gilt surface, smooth contours of the waist, treatment of the ribbons
and sashes, and minimalist aesthetic. The turquoise inlays, although
modestly applied, indicate additional influence of Tibetan craftmanship.
Unlike most bronzes produced in China during this period, the lotus base
is fully executed in the round.

(another view)