AN IMPORTANT GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF A BODHISATTVA MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGLE

finely cast seated in vajraparyankasana on a double lotus pedestal base, the right hand holding a vajra and the left hand held in vitarka mudra, wearing a dhoti and jewelled waist band spreading over the base and leaving the torso bare but for the scarf draped arms entwined with long multi-stemmed lotus flanking the shoulders and an elaborate jewelled pectoral, the broad face with almond-shaped eyes beneath high arched brows and a bud-like mouth, framed by ornate wheel-shaped earrings and the hair drawn up into a high chignon behind the five-pointed crown, inscribed to the front of the base 'Da Ming Yongle Nian Shi' 

Christie's London, 10th December 1984, lot 832.

This finely cast bronze is in very good overall condition with the exception of a 5cm., fracture to the waist and half way across the ribbon draped over the left arm, a repair around the wrist of the right hand, some hairline fracture lines to the back of the figure and top of the base (2,2,3 and 5cm., long), bending to three points of the crown, and light rubbing to the gilding on the extremities in particular to the back of the figure, tops of the knees and the tops of lotus-lappet band at the base. The base has been opened.
"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 fine figure of the bodhisattva Vajrasattva is representative of a group of Buddhist figures made on the orders of the Imperial Court in China during the first half of the fifteenth century that displays a style influenced by the art of Tibet. During the Yuan dynasty, the authority of Mongol rulers had become closely associated with the Tibetan Buddhist hierarchy and, as a result, in their religious practice closely followed Tibetan rituals and ceremonies. The close link between the Ming government and the Tibetan Lamas continued in the fifteenth century and prevailed in works such as the present figure. Missions to Tibet were carried out which sought to maintain good relations with the Tibetan Lamas, and images such as this figure were exchanged as gifts.

Gilt-bronze figures made in the imperial foundries of the Yongle emperor represent the apogee of Chinese Buddhist metal sculpture in the Ming dynasty. Some fifty-four works bearing a Yongle inscription have been documented in Tibetan monastery collection. David Weldon, in his work on Tibetan gilt-bronze figures from the Speelman collection, notes the fact that these figures have survived in Tibet is testimony to the imperial patronage lavished on Tibetan hierarchs and monasteries during the reign of the Yongle Emperor. (David Weldon, 'Vision of Enlightenment', Sotheby's, Hong Kong, 2006, p. 10)

Vajrasattva, Adamantine Being, is regarded as an archetypical Buddha remaining as bodhisattva for the benefit of sentient beings, and is supplicated in rites of purification. He is an important figure in two esoteric Buddhist sutras, the Mahavairocana Sutra and the Vajrasekhara Sutra. Vajrasattva learns the principles of the Dharma from Mahavairocana Buddha and is taught the esoteric rituals to help actualize the Dharma. The present figure, with his gentle smile, radiates compassion and benevolence. He appears youthful yet regal with his sumptuous crown and jewellery, and a shawl draped elegantly over his shoulders. Vajrasattva are usually depicted holding a vajra (or dorje in Tibetan) in one hand. Vajra, the implement of thunderbolt and diamond, is one of the most important Buddhist symbols and is the main symbol of Vajrayana, or the 'Vajra Vehicle' in Buddhism. This short metal weapon has the nature of diamond, as it can cut through any substance but cannot be cut, and it has the irresistible force of the thunderbolt. It therefore represents firmness of spirit as well as spiritual power.  

A closely related example, in the Berti Aschmann Foundation in the Rietberg Museum, is illustrated in Helmut Uhlig, On the Path to Enlightenment: The Berti Aschmann Foundation of Tibetan Art in the Museum Rietberg Zurich, Zurich, 1995, p. 62, pl. 22; one from the Speelman collection, was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 7^th October 2006, lot 801; and another related piece, also holding a vajra, was sold in our New York rooms, 23^rd September 1995, lot 328.

For further examples of Yongle mark and period gilt-bronze figures see two illustrated in Zhongguo zangchuan fojiao diaosu quanji, vol. 2, Beijing, 2002, pls. 174 and 175. Compare also a seated figure of Vajrasattva attributed to the Yuan dynasty published in Cultural Relics of Tibetan Buddhism Collected in the Qing Palace, Hong Kong, 1992, pl. 57.