A CELADON JADE FIGURE OF AVALOKITESHVARA WITH A GILT-COPPER REPOUSSE STAND FIGURE: YUAN – MING DYNASTY STAND: QING DYNASTY, 19TH CENTURY

worked seated in rajalilasana on a recumbent lion with its head and gaping jaws turned backward and its tail swept against its haunch, all atop a lotus base, the deity with the right hand resting on his raised right knee, further rendered cloaked in long flowing robes and adorned with beaded jewellery, the serene expression framed by a pair of pendulous earlobes and an elaborate headdress, the gilt-bronze stand bordered with a scrollwork band and a frieze of upright lotus petals, the curved mandorla reticulated with a lotus bloom wreathed by scrolling foliage and a roundel decorated in gilt with a figure at the front and in cloisonné enamel with a shou medallion on the reverse, all within with a flaming border

C.C. Teng & Co., Taipei.

Jade figure: there are minor bruises to the base, tips of the crown and other fragile extremities. Gilt-copper repousse stand: two of the lotus flowers on the upper level have been broken off. Minor dents and rubbing to gilding.
"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.
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The deity is depicted seated on a lion with its mouth opened in a vigorous growl, depicting 'Guanyin of the Lion Roar' (Simhanada Avalokiteshvara): the intense moment of transcendent enlightenment. Her serene features convey a sense of profound thought and wisdom which contrasts with the ferocity of the lion. Together, the two figures represent an image of controlled power and harmony.

The present lot belongs to a group of jade bodhisattvas commissioned to furnish Buddhist shrines and probably used for private worship. Such figures were also known to exist in other forms of media such as metal, stone, jadeite and wood, and were popular throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is likely that this figure, although created in the Ming dynasty, continued to serve as an image for worship in the Qing dynasty. The gilt-bronze stand, in its size and height, is in almost seamless concordance with the jade figure; suggesting this could be a tailor-made addition by a Qing-dynasty worshipper. A closely related example, rendered almost identically to the present piece but lacking a separate stand, is in the collection of Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Zhongguo yuqi quanji [Complete collection of Chinese Jades], vol. 5, Shijiazhuang, 1993, pl. 313.