A GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF SAMANTABHADRA QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

the Adi-Buddha with stems of foliage in each hand, the flowers supporting a vajra and sutra, wearing a lower garment engraved with textile patterns and secured at the waist by a sash and jewelled girdle, and adorned with bodhisattva jewellery including beaded necklaces, earrings, armbands, bracelets, anklets, and a crown framing the forehead and tied at the sides with billowing sashes, hair drawn up in a jatamakuta tied with jewelled bands and topped by a cintamani, with curling tresses falling to the upper arms, a diaphanous scarf draping the bare shoulders and fluttering at his sides down to the pedestal below, his face with a beneficent expression, and seated in lalitasana on a lotus flower supported by a caparisoned elephant striding on a lotus pedestal

The figure is in overall very good condition with almost all of the gilding well preserved. There are only some typical dents with minor loss to the original pigments of the hair and jewels. The face is in very good condition with pigments remaining in the eyes and lips and a very shiny gold finish to the face. There is a small hole in the trapping ornament that appears to have been a jewel that was placed which is now missing. The base plates of the deity, elephant and the base have been opened. The base plate is possibly a later replacement.
"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."

Samantabhadra, "Universal Joy", is one of the Eight Great Bodhisattvas and is companion to Manjushri, the Lord of Wisdom. As an Adi-Buddha he is considered the manifestation of dharmakaya, source of all things and the essence to which all things return. Legend has it that he arrived in China on an elephant and rested on Mount O-mei, which is believed to be his sanctuary: hence the iconography of this fine and rare gilt bronze depicting the deity supported by his elephant vehicle. Compare the style of the robe, the scarf falling to the pedestal, the jewellery, hand gestures and the facial expression of a Qing dynasty Shyamatara in the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Marylin M. Rhie and Robert A. F. Thurman, Wisdom and Compassion: The Sacred Art of Tibet, London, 1991, cat. 25.