A GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF A BODHISATTVA SIXTEEN KINGDOMS

cast seated on a rectangular pedestal, the hands folded in dhyanamudra, wearing long robes falling into voluminous folds, the face with a meditative expression and the hair piled up into a high chignon, wood stand and Japanese wood box

Mayuyama & Co. Ltd, Tokyo.

The figure is in good condition with the exception of partial loss to the lower rear edge of the stand, minor pitting due to burial and malachite encrustation to the back, and overall scratches, rubbing and flaking to the gilded decoration.
"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 figure of Shakyamuni belongs to the earliest examples of Chinese Buddhist sculpture. These early gilt-bronze Buddha figures, typically portrayed seated in dhyanasana, still display characteristics that may be traced back to Gandharan models, such as the treatment of the hair and robe, while at the same time testifying to the emergence of a distinctive Chinese style, evident in the angular body and the rectangular throne flanked by lions.

The present piece was probably once adorned with a backing mandorla, as seen on a larger figure of this type excavated in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, cast in relief with figures of attendants and flying apsaras below an umbrella canopy; see the exhibition catalogue China. Dawn of a Golden Age, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2004, cat. no. 45; and another in the Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo, included in the exhibition Gilt Bronze Buddhist Statues. China, Korea and Japan, Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo, 1987, cat. no. 5.

Compare also a similar figure sold in our New York rooms, 21^st September 2006, lot 111; three sold in these rooms, 30^th March 1978, lot 53; 14^th December 1982, lot 26; and 7^th June 1988, lot 33; and a further example sold at Christie’s London, 2^nd June 1989, lot 87.