A RARE GILT-LACQUERED BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA DALI KINGDOM, 12TH CENTURY

portrayed seated with hands in dhyanamudra, wearing long flowing robes wrapped around the body and draped over his left shoulder, an armband with a large floral medallion adorning his right arm, the serene face with narrow eyes and gentle smile framed by pendulous ears and tight curls that cover the head and ushnisha

The figure with a slight dent to the right side of the lower back There is a 1/4 in. (hole to the side of the right thigh. There is a 1/2 in. (0.6 cm) chip to the base and a 1/8 in. (0.3 cm) rectangular notch. Typical wear and loss to the gilt-lacquer.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Images from the Dali Kingdom were not recognized as such and were often misattributed. In 1944, American scholar Helen Burwell Chapin who had studied and published the Yunnanese artist's Zhang Shengwen's Long Scroll of Buddhist Images, discovered that a group of bronze images in Western collections actually originated in Yunnan. She published her findings in her article 'Yunnanese Images of Avalokitesvara', Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, vol. 8, 1944, pp 131-186. Since then, many Avalokitesvara images have been recognized as being from the Dali Kingdom, such as the one sold in our Paris rooms, 18th December 2008, lot 20.

Buddha images from the Dali kingdom however, are rare. One such Buddha figure sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 28th April 1998, lot 604, where it was attributed to the Liao dynasty. That figure has since been reattributed to the Dali Kingdom and dated to the 12th century by Marylin M. Rhie, in her article 'An Early Tibetan Thangka of Amitayus', Orientations, October 1998, p. 79, fig 7. That figure bears a number of similarities with the present lot. Both figures are seated in a similar posture with the hands held in an identical mudra. The shape of the body with its soft curves, the facial expression, and the treatment of the hair is also very similar. Both figures also wear an armband. Historical texts claim that the Buddhism of Dali was influenced by the Hu (a general Chinese term for people from China's northern and western frontiers), the Fan (a general term used to describe ancient India and Sanskrit, and also Tibet) and the Han Chinese. There was also clearly communication between Burma and the kingdoms of Southeast Asia. All these influences give these images a pan-Asian feel which is natural, considering the Dali Kingdom's location and the trade routes at the time. 

Another example now in the Shanghai Museum, dated to the second half of the 12th century, is illustrated in Christian Deydier, 'Galerie Christian Deydier', Thirtieth Anniversary 1980-2010, 2011, p. 30. The shape of the body, the presence of an armband, and the way the folds of the robes are rendered is very similar to the drapery of the present lot.