A GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF GUANYIN SUI DYNASTY

cast in tribhanga, the slender body dressed in a dhoti with long flowing scarves and elaborate necklaces, the left hand holding a willow sprig against the shoulder, the right hand holding a vase at the side, the face with a serene expression below the triple-leafed tiara fronting a coiffure surmounted by a figure of Amitabha, the back of the head with a tab, all supported on a semi-circular lotus plinth and stand

Collection of K. Takenouichi, Tokyo, circa 1925.

Osvald Siren, Chinese Sculpture from the Fifth to the Fourteenth Century, New York, 1925, vol. 3, pl. 282E.

There is a crack in the ribbon hanging just above the figure's right shoulder. There is a chip to the left edge by the figure's thigh. There is evidence of past regilding, and age-appropriate wear to the gilding and to the surface, with minor nicks, abrasion and depressions.
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.

Thirty-three manifestations of Guanyin are mentioned in the Lotus Sutra and are known to have been very popular in Chinese Buddhism as early as the Sui and Tang Dynasties. The present lot depicts the bodhisattva in the manifestation known as the Willowleaf Guanyin. In this form the bodhisattva holds a vase containing elixir in the left hand and a stalk of willow leaves in the right. The willow has evil-dispelling properties and is used to sprinkle the elixir over devotees. The elixir is believed to cure all physical and spiritual illnesses, and this iconographic form was popular among devotees wishing for good health. In addition, the figure of Amitabha crowning the present lot further strengthens the attribution.

Other examples of similar Sui dynasty gilt-bronze figures are illustrated in Saburo Matsubara, Chinese Buddhist Sculpture, Tokyo, 1966, pls. 221a-c, 222a-c and 223a-c; and in Hai-Wai Yi-Chen Chinese Art in Overseas Collections, Buddhist Sculpture I, Taipei, 1998, no. 67, in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.