A SUPERB GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF A SEATED SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGLE

wearing a voluminous loose-fitting sanghati, with the undergarment, antaravasaka, gathered at the chest, hair in tight curls covering the domed ushnisha above, an urna on the forehead and long pierced earlobes, with hands in bhumishparsha mudra, seated in vajraparyankasana on a lotus pedestal inscribed with a Yongle reign mark on its upper surface and sealed with a plate beneath incised with a visvavajra

The Buddha is in very good overall condition with only light wear to the gilding in the areas exposed to handling like the left thumb, right arm and hand, knees, folds of the drapery, nose, and the back and lappets on the base. There is plenty of blue pigment remaining in the hair. The gilt lacquer on the ushnisha has rubbed off, leaving traces of gilding. The base plate, covered with traces of red lacquer, has been opened, contents removed and re-sealed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The historical Buddha Shakyamuni is envisaged in this statue seated at the empowered site of vajrasana at Bodh Gaya in eastern India, having vowed to remain in meditation to penetrate the mystery of samsara. He was interrupted by the demon hordes of Mara, the "lord of the senses". The Buddha overcame their attempts at seduction and distraction, and in defiance moved his right hand from the meditation position to touch the ground before him. The gesture, bhumishparsha mudra, signifies the moment of triumph over Mara in calling the earth spirit to witness his claim to enlightenment.

This classic iconography of Shakyamuni Buddha is famously represented in two complete imperial Yongle altar shrines, one in the British Museum, W. Zwalf, ed, Buddhism: Art and Faith, London, 1985, cat. 305, and the other from the Speelman Collection, Sotheby's Hong Kong, 7th October 2006, lot 808. Yongle images of Shakyamuni Buddha in this smaller scale are relatively rare. Only one was recorded in Ulrich von Schroeder's survey of Tibetan monastery collections, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Hong Kong, 2001, vol. II, pl. 358A: another, with the reign mark erased, is now in a private collection, Ulrich von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong 1981, 146D.

The statue is defined by an idiosyncratic sculptural manner within the Yongle stylistic parameters, and superb colour and condition. Just the merest of wear to the gilding suggests gentle and respectful handling over the centuries. The chest is rounded and the shoulders slope, more so than in the majority of Yongle images where they are set more square. This and the charming rounded face with bow-shaped lips are strongly suggestive of Nepalese sculptural traditions. However the elegant lotus petal pedestal is typical of the entire group, and in keeping with the statue's excellent overall condition it retains the consecration plate beneath engraved with the designated visvavajra.