A GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA DIPANKARA QING DYNASTY, 17TH/18TH CENTURY

the figure seated in dhyanasana on a double-lotus, his hands in dharmachakramudra, wearing a shawl with foliate hem over his left shoulder revealing a bare chest, with serene facial expression framed by pendulous ears, the hair gathered in tight curls surmounted by a domed ushnisa, inscribed on the underside with an undecipherable character and the numeral reading wu (five)

Unsealed, with a section to the foot out and re-stuck (measuring approximately 20mm and slightly loose) and another 15mm area of bronze repair to the base. Numerous other small areas of bronze repair elsewhere, most visibly to the torso, right shoulder and face. Minor wear to the gilding and otherwise in excellent condition.
"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."

This elegant figure depicts Buddha Dipankara seated on a lotus petalled throne while making the gesture of Turning the Wheel of the Law (dharmachakramudra). Buddha Dipankara, who is believed to have lived for 100,000 years, is one of the predecessors of the historical Buddha Gautama and is credited for setting the Wheel of Dharma in motion, thus marking the beginning of the Buddhist faith. Dipankara’s prophetic abilities are known from a jataka, stories that record events from the Buddha’s past lives, where the ascetic Sumedha, a past incarnation of Buddha Shakyamuni, offered to spread his hair and flowers on the ground for Dipankara to walk on and avoid the mud. 

 

Similar gilt-bronze figures include one illustrated in Zhongguo Zang chuan fo jiao jin tong zaoxiang yishu [The art of Tibetan-Buddhist gilt-metal sculptures in China], vol. 1, Beijing, 2000, pl. 64; one, in the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, included in the exhibition Wisdom Embodied. Chinese Buddhist and Daoist Sculpture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2010, fig. 27; and another dated to 1662, from the collection of John M. Crawford Jr., illustrated in Ulrich von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1981, p. 152, pl. 152A.

 

Representations of the Buddha Dipankara are known from as early as the Northern Wei dynasty (386-534); see a sandstone stele included in the exhibition Wisdom Embodied, op. cit., cat. no. 5.