A GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF GUANYIN MING DYNASTY, 15TH CENTURY

seated with her right hand resting on her raised right knee and left hand raised to her chest in vitarkamudra, her elbows issuing uptala lotuses supporting a parrot on her left shoulder, surmounted by an elaborate high crown inset with a figure of Amitabha Buddha seated beneath a canopy, dressed in elaborate robes hemmed with floral and chevron borders, her chest enhanced by beaded necklaces and pendent jewels

The figure is in good overall condition with the exception of loss to the tip of the index finger on the right hand, loss of the middle finger on the left hand, loss to the tip of the toes on the right foot, loss to the top and side of the casting of the lotus held in the right hand, a chip to the front of the Buddha in the crown, minor rubbing to the gilding, and the base has been removed.
"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."

The popular bodhisattva has been depicted in one of his myriad Guanyin forms and seated in the posture of royal ease. He is accompanied by the Kalavinka, a bird of Buddhist paradise whose song is described in the sutras as clear and melodious and the most beautiful of all birds. Compare two figures of Guanyin accompanied by the Kalavinka and cast in a similar style, but one with the deity seated in vajraparyankasana, and the other seated in rajalilasana, published in The Chang Foundation, Buddhist Images in Gilt Metal, Taipei, 1993, pp. 78-81, cat. nos 32 and 33.