A LARGE GILT-LACQUERED WOOD SEATED FIGURE OF SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA QING DYNASTY, KANGXI PERIOD

the deity seated in vajraparyankasana on a double lotus base, his loose robes falling from the left shoulder leaving the chest bare, the hands held in dharmachakra mudra, the face with downcast eyes and forehead inset with a prominent urna, framed by long pendulous ears cut with vertical slots and hair in tight curls surmounted by an ushnisha below a gilt cintamani pearl, silk covered wood stand

The lacquering is in very good condition. The left hand has been broken at the wrist and restuck with a light restoration to the pinky finger. There is retouching to the gilding on the usnisha jewel on the top of the head. There is ample of blue pigment remaining. And apart from minor cracks to the top of the base and chips to the edges of the base, the overall condition is quite good.
"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."

It is rare to find gilt-lacquered wood Buddha figures of this magnificent size with its original lotus petal base. The technique of coating carved wooden figures with lacquer and gilt appears to have emerged in the early Ming dynasty, which served as the inspiration for those made in the Qing dynasty.

A smaller example attributed to the same period, but seated in dharmacakra, in the British Museum, London, was included in the exhibition Buddhism. Art and Faith, British Museum, London, 1985, cat. no. 309; and an earlier dry lacquer example of these dimensions, but seated in dhyanasana, was sold in our New York rooms, 1^st June 1994, lot 463. Compare also similarly carved figures of Buddha but lacking a base, such as a much smaller example dated to 1411, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, illustrated in Alan Priest, Chinese Sculpture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1944, pl. 75; and a slightly larger pair of gilded red lacquer figures sold in our London rooms, 8^th November 2006, lot 33.