A RHINOCEROS HORN CARVING OF A SEATED MANJUSHRI ON A LION 16TH / 17TH CENTURY

the seated deity carved with downcast eyes and a serene expression, dressed in a long flowing robe with the hair pulled up into an elaborate chignon held in place by a hairpin and a tri-lobed diadem, the left hand held in a gesture of vitarka mudra while the right hand rests on the right knee, the recumbent lion with finely incised mane and tail with its mouth open baring teeth and fangs, all above a domed base carved with scrolling clouds, the horn of a rich brown patina

Apart from a long filled-in age crack on the back and a 1cm polished chip to the edge of the base, the overall condition is very good. The patina is slightly dry. The lacquer on the base has some flaking. The actual colour is about 10% deeper than in the catalogue illustration. The actual size is about 40% smaller than the catalogue illustration.
"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."

Manjushri is the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, known in China as Wenshu. Wenshu is often depicted as eternally young and seated on a gold-maned lion, which symbolizes this Bodhisattva's fearless majesty and power over the Great Wisdom teachings of the Buddha. The present rhinoceros horn carving of Wenshu is a fine example of late Ming figural carvings in this medium, and is especially close, perhaps even carved by the same artist, to a slightly larger Wenshu figure (height 14 cm.), from the collections of Ruth Dreyfus and Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, sold at Christie's New York, 1^st December 1994, lot 40, and again in these rooms, 10^th April 2006, lot 1634.

The imagery displayed in this work, with the lion's mouth wide open and Wenshu's left hand raised in the vitarka mudra, a gesture of teaching, shows great animation. The wide spread of the base carved with clouds suggests that it was made from a whole horn piece. Rhinoceros horn carvings of such advanced and remarkable workmanship are rare, and those depicting figures are even rarer.

For examples of figure carvings, see a seated Guanyin in the Shanghai Museum, illustrated in Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carvings in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 77; and another seated Guanyin pouring balm from her vase while a small boy tries to touch the liquid, in the collection of Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., published in Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, pl. 334 (right), attributed to the late Ming period. Compare also a seated figure of Guanyin sold in our New York rooms, 6^th December 1989, lot 58.

Rhinoceros horn carvings of Budai, the God of Happiness, also use the material in a similar fashion, with the body of Budai spreading out to form a wide base and the figure carved from a single whole piece. See a seated Budai, from the Wanli Period (dated 1577), from the collection of Mary and George Bloch published ibid., pl. 99; and another included in Fok, op.cit., pl. 66, and sold in these rooms, 23^rd October 2005, lot 34.  The style of using the wide base of the horn for carving figures continued into the Kangxi period with refinements to the carving.