Statuette de Bhaisajyaguru en cuivre doré Tibet, XVE siècle

assis en vajrasana sur une double base lotiforme, la main gauche portant un bol, la main droite tenant une noix d'arura, vêtu d'une robe monastique aux plis finement ciselés découvrant l'épaule droite, les sourcils arqués encadrant l'urna, le nez aquilin, la bouche souriante avec des traces de pigment rouge, les lobes d'oreilles pendants, les cheveux coiffés en petites boucles, l'ushnisha surmontée d'un bouton de lotus, des traces de pigment bleu dans la chevelure, belle patine dorée, la base scellée incisée d'un double vajra

The figure is well-cast and richly gilt, the base sealed. The figure is in very good overall condition. There is light overall wear to the gilding, particularly across the figure's left knee and the lower part of the back.
"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 Cosmic Buddha of Medicine is seated in vajraparyankasana holding an arura fruit in his right hand and an alms bowl containing ambrosia in his left. The rituals associated with the Bhaisajyaguru sutra are manifested in painted and sculptural representations consisting of up to fifty-one deities, such as the thirteenth century Khara Khoto thangka and the eighteenth century Tibeto-Chinese bronze mandala, both in the State Hermitage, see Marylin M. Rhie and Robert A. F. Thurman, The Sacred Art of Tibet, London, 1991, pp. 336-40, cat. nos. 133-4. Bhaisajyaguru is invoked in Tibetan medicinal practice, and is represented as guru on surgical charts and teaching manuals. Shakyamuni Buddha is thought by Tibetan Buddhists to have taught the sutra. The present figure of Bhaisajyaguru epitomises the elegance of fifteenth century central Tibetan sculpture, cf. the textile design on the hem of the robe, the lotus petal style and meditative expression of a Shakyamuni Buddha in the Berti Aschmann Collection, see Helmut Uhlig, On the Path to Enlightenment, Zürich, 1995, p. 72, cat. no. 30.