Rare Sculpture Impériale d'Amitayus en Bronze Doré Chine, dynastie Qing, époque Kangxi (1662-1722)

assis en dhyanasana sur une double base lotiforme au pourtour perlé, les mains réunies devant lui portant à l'origine le vase d'immortalité kalasha, le torse dénudé, la taille mince, vêtu d'un châle à bordure de rinceau végétal s'arrêtant à mi-hauteur dans le dos et retombant sur l'avant à partir des épaules en s'enroulant autour des avant-bras, un dhoti reprenant la bordure florale du châle tombant en plis onduleux sur la base, le Bouddha de la Vie Eternelle est paré de brassards et de bracelets à la cheville et aux poignets, de trois colliers et de boucles d'oreille sertis de pierres semi-précieuses, le visage serein, les commissures des lèvres relevées en un léger sourire, les arcades sourcilières finement saillantes se rejoignant pour former une arête nasale précise, surmontée de l'urna, les yeux étirés en amande, la pupille noire se détachant sur un fond blanc, sourcils et cils délicatement peints en noir, coiffé d'une tiare richement ouvragée et agrémentée de pierres, cachant une chevelure présentant des traces de polychromie bleue, réunie en un haut chignon surmonté à l'origine d'un ornement (2)

Gifted to the great-grand parents of the present owner in 1912, thence by descent in the family.

The Amitayus is in very good overall condition with the exception of the flame on the top of the head which is missing. The lower part of the flame is there but broken off. It is incised with 3 characters that match 3 characters cast onto the base on top of the usnisa. The alm's bowl originally held in the hands is missing. The base is open and the upper part is filled with small scrolls wrapped in yellow and red silk and tied with silk strings. They are held in place by what is probably the original wooden part. Some scrolls are clustered around the edges of the lower part of the double lotus base. There are some stone inlays missing and the gilding on the arms, body and face is very lightly rubbed as consistend with the age of the figure. The ends of his head, the tips of the crown, the ribbons and earrings are all complete. The gilding is rich and heavy and in its original condition.
"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."

This gilt-bronze figure of the Buddha Amitayus, the Buddha of Infinite Life, is remarkable for its size and impressive weight. Cast from a mould comprising several sections, its surface is entirely covered in a rich fire-gilding. In addition, the figure’s face, torso, arms and legs are enhanced with red and gold lacquer gilding, softly worn in places. Inlays of semi-precious stones add splashes of colour. The same fine features appear in other gilt-bronze figures of the Buddha Amitayus that are of identical size and quality, compare, for example, a related figure published in Ullrich von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1981, pls. 152a-b, suggesting that these figures originally were part of one and the same group which may have comprised as many as 108 examples. Their exquisite quality, rich detailing and large size indicate that they may have been made in the Imperial workshops of the Qing court where craftsmen with technical knowledge and skills had the material resources at hand needed to cast such a larger group of extremely fine Buddhist figures.

This assumption may be supported by stylistic similarities between the present figure and another gilt-bronze figure of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara Sadaksari commissioned by the Kangxi Emperor in 1686 on the occasion of his grandmother’s birthday, published in Cultural Relics of Tibetan Buddhism collected in the Qing Palace, Hong Kong, 1992, cat.no. 1-2.  The current figure is also related to a similar-sized figure of the four-armed Manjusri also dated to the Kangxi reign and now in the Summer Palace at Chengde, illustrated in Buddhist Art from Rehol. Tibetan Buddhist Images and Ritual Objects from the Qing Dynasty Summer Palace at Chengde, Taipei, 1999, cat.no. 19. Like his grandmother, the Dowager Empress Xiaozhuang, the Kangxi emperor was a devout follower and patron of Tibetan Buddhism. Originally of Manchu descent, the Qing ruling class had intermarried with the Mongol tribes and had converted to Tibetan Buddhism. With the Dalai Lama the secular as well as religious leader of Tibet, and with the Kangxi emperor’s assumption of the protectorate over Tibet, politics and religion became inextricably linked at the Qing court. Early on during the Kangxi emperor’s reign an office devoted solely to Tibetan Buddhist affairs known as the Office for the Recitation of Sutras was set up in the Zhongzheng Dian, the Hall of Central Uprightness established in 1697. It formed part of the Department of Ceremonial Affairs and was directly supervised by the two officials from the Imperial Household (Neiwufu). Considered the centre of all Tibetan Buddhist activities at the Qing court it was from here that under the directives of Ropal Dorje, the preceptor of the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong emperors, Tibetan and Mongolian lamas orchestrated all Buddhist activities, commissioning many of the works of art and paintings that were then placed in the numerous temples and shrines, compare Patricia Ann Berger, Empire of Emptiness. Buddhist Art and Political Authority in Qing China, Honolulu, 2003, pp. 96-97. For personal and political reasons, the Kangxi emperor as well as his son and grandson, the Yongzheng and the Qianlong emperors, patronized Tibetan Buddhism, erecting some thirty-five Tibetan Buddhist temples and shrines within the walls of the Forbidden City, and many more across the empire.

The sumptuous quality of this piece is consistent with the image of the Buddha Amitayus who radiates wisdom and compassion and is associated with the rites ensuring long life. The numerous small scrolls wrapped in yellow and red silk and printed with sutras are found inside the present figure. Through the recitation of these sutras, the followers of Tibetan Buddhism, believed to gain merits and achieve enlightenment.