Page 208 - Sotheby's October 3 2017 Tantra Buddhost Art

fig. 2
Bronze figure of Matreiya
Sotheby’s New York, 16th September 2009,
lot 12

fig. 1
Buddha Maitreya, dated 486. China (Shanxi). Northern Wei
dynasty (386-534). Gilt bronze, H. 55 ¼ in. (140.3 cm); W.
24 ½ in. (62.2 cm); D. 19 ¼ in.(48.9 cm).
John Stewart Kennedy Fund, 1926 (26.123).
© The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Image source: Art
Resource, NY

Another gilt-bronze standing figure of Maitreya of identical the Yongle period, as demonstrated by the iconography of the
structure and iconography, clearly from the same workshop Yongle reign-marked Maitreya from the Speelman collection,
but much smaller in size (50.2 cm high), was sold in our New sold in these rooms, 7th October 2006, lot 803. In contrast to
York rooms, 16th September 2009, lot 12. (fig. 2). Acquired the current sculpture, bronze Buddhist sculptures from the
from Yamanaka Sokai, Osaka in the early 20th century, it is late Ming period generally show the concurrent fashions of
stylistically very close, and stands securely on a similar wood loose and flowing outer garments with no stylised undulations.
stand as the current figure, suggesting that it too may also They also lack the distinctive feature of webbed hands, one
originally have been with Yamanaka. The tradition of depicting of the lakshana or identifying marks of a Buddha, visible on
Maitreya Buddha standing in the Udayana style continued to earlier examples including the current figure.

206 SOTHEBY’S 蘇富比