A PARCEL-GILT BRONZE FIGURE OF BODHIDHARMA MING DYNASTY, 16TH CENTURY

the bald deity standing barefoot, with bushy eyebrows, curly beard and mustache framing his face, wearing loose-fitted robes revealing his emaciated frame, the gilded garment finely chased with formalised floral scrolls against a circle-punched ground, the hem with a continuous scroll design, his hands held within the long sleeves in front of his lower chest, the lower body wrapped in a dhoti, similarly adorned with floral scrolls

Christie’s Paris, 22nd November 2005, lot 81.

The figure is overall in good condition with only some small original casting flaws in areas on the folds of the robe and oxidization to the gilding as visible on the catalogue illustration. There is an old repaired angled crack in the metal on the back of the figure (approx. 3 x 5 cm.) and a few shallow dents on the folds. There is a 2 cm. pitted area on the robe to the front of the figure's left foreleg (showing on the catalogue illustration). The patinated bronze areas are a little darker than on the catalogue photo. The base is sealed.
"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 present figure of Bodhidharma is especially fine for its large size and exceptional modelling, making it a fine and rare example amongst votive figures of this type. While the figure itself is imposing and sculptural, the robe is especially noteworthy for its gilded decoration of a dense floral scroll design on an unusually large scale. The gilding and richness of the robe is in sharp contrast with the Buddhist monk’s dark skin and his emaciated chest. It is also interesting to note that while Bodhidharma figures are frequently depicted floating on a leafy branch, referring to the time when the monk crossed the Yangzi river, the present variation shows him standing with his robe gently lifted by the wind. This depiction became popular and a more recognizable image from the Ming dynasty onwards.

See a smaller silver-inlaid bronze figure of Bodhidharma standing on waves, bearing the mark Shisou on the back, included in the exhibition The Second Bronze Age. Later Chinese Metalwork, Sydney L. Moss Ltd., London, 1991, cat. no. 12. A tall bronze figure of a Daoist immortal, wearing a simple robe that falls to his ankles but loosely fitted to expose his emaciated chest, from the Clague collection, is published in Robert D. Mowry, China’s Renaissance in Bronze, The Robert H. Clague Collection of Later Chinese Bronzes 1100-1900, Phoenix, 1993, pl. 52. Mowry in ibid., p. 211, notes that the fluid lines, masculine features, emaciated chest and billowing robe all suggest a late Ming attribution to the sculpture, and mentions a related but smaller figure in the Palace Museum, Beijing, similarly dated to the late Ming period by the museum’s curators.