A Gilt-Bronze and Silver Figure of Shakyamuni Buddha Yuan / Early Ming Dynasty

cast in the form of Shakyamuni Buddha as an ascetic, depicted standing and clasping his hands together in front of his chest, adorned in a loose shawl flung over one shoulder above a loose skirt, intricately cast with full naturalistic treatment of the details, the large boldly cast head with tightly curled hair, an ushnisha on the crown and enigmatically smiling, bewhiskered face with an urna on the forehead above the eyes, the narrowed eyes looking downwards, framed by long pendulous earlobes, his feet bare and his emaciated upper chest and right arm uncovered, the figure completely gilt with the exception of an upper arm band on the right arm picked out in silver, all on a separate, original bronze stand cast in the form of a perforated, rocky outcrop

As visible in the catalogue photos, there is general oxidisation to the surface, and minor surface wear and scratches, especially to the underside of the base. Overall, it is in good condition.
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For a bronze figure of an ascetic, possibly of Prince Siddhartha, and for its popularity during the Yuan dynasty, see lot 224.  That the figure in this case is obviously intended to show Siddhartha as an Enlightened being rather than as an ascetic before his Enlightenment, is proven by the ushnisha on the Buddha’s head, which is a symbol of his wisdom after Enlightenment.  It is also suggested by the much more formalised hair of this figure, leaning more towards the tight curls of more commonly found figures of Shakyamuni Buddha.

Although a date from the first decades of the Ming dynasty cannot be ruled out, a Yuan date for this sculpture is compelling.  The rock base is quite unlike the standard Ming rock bases found on countless images, and the large feet are typical of established Yuan dynasty images. This is another of those rare sculptures where the individuality of the image transcends its iconographical intent to become a compelling depiction of an individual, albeit only contained in the imagination of the artist.  The unusually large head is superbly sculpted with powerful, prominent features and an intriguing expression with an enigmatic smile and narrowed eyes.