A RARE BRONZE FIGURE OF AVALOKITESHVARA LIAO DYNASTY |

cast seated in lalitasana on a raised lotus pedestal, the right arm lowered and the left hand held in dhyanamudra supporting a circular disc, wearing long robes opening at the chest revealing a beaded necklace, the face with a benevolent expression, the hair gathered into a high elaborate chignon with long tresses falling across the shoulders

In overall good condition. The base unsealed. With traces of lacquer and gilding, and possibly minute chips to the ends of the sashes. Minor, expected wear and dents scattered throughout.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The present figure of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara belongs to a small group of finely modeled Buddhist gilt-bronze sculptures which are related to the famous large clay bodhisattvas of the Liao dynasty at the Lower Huayan Temple at Datong in Shanxi province dated to AD 1038. Sensitively cast to convey a dignified and serene quality, the figure is characteristic of Liao Buddhist statuary; in its seated position in a lotus flower and elegant robe. For another Liao dynasty bodhisattva, see the example in the Nelson-Atkins Museum, Kansas City, illustrated in Marilyn Greidig Gridley, Chinese Buddhist Sculpture Under the Liao, New Delhi, 1993, pl. 102, fig. 144; and another in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the exhibition Recently Acquired Gilt-Bronze Buddhist Images, Taipei, 1996, cat. no. 14. Compare also a smaller Liao bronze figure of Amithaba Buddha, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 27th May 2014, lot 752.