A GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF MAITREYA MING DYNASTY, 16TH CENTURY |

the corpulent jovial figure cast seated and at ease, holding a small attribute in the proper left hand, the rotund belly protruding from a loosely draped robe with chased lotus meander borders secured at the waist with a tasseled belt, raised on a rounded cushion, supported on a floral scroll-decorated domed base, the reverse bearing a Tibetan inscription

The Chang Foundation Collection.

Jintongfo zaoxiang tulu/Buddhist Images in Gilt Metal, Taipei, 1993, pl. 24.

In overall good condition with expected minor pitting, minor wear to the gilding, and minor patches of oxidation and surface acretions. The proper right hand likely once held a cloth sack. The base plate lost.
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.

The inscription in Tibetan script on the back of the base translates to 'He with everything in his left hand'. Typically, depictions of Budai Maitreya will show the god with a cloth sack that is filled with his worldly possessions. Despite poverty, his happiness is boundless and he is invariably depicted thus. The raised proper right hand of the present figure likely once held the top of a cloth sack, and the attribute in the opposite hand resembles a single jewel, symbolically his only possession.