A rare and large polychrome gilt wood figure of Wenshu seated on a lion, Ming dynasty

Collection of Joseph A. Montgomery;

Offered Christie's New York, 2nd December 1986, lot 363;

Oriental Bronzes Ltd, London, 1997.

This rare depiction of the Manjushri (Wenshu) atop his lion mount is closely related to those said to depict the 'lion-voiced Avalokiteshvara' and may have formed part of an arrangement of three figures together with the Shakyamuni Buddha (on a qilin) and Samantabhadra (Puxian) atop an elephant.

Compare a closely related figure of Simhanada Avalokiteshvara sold at Christie's London, 4th November 2008, lot 50; another sold at Christie's New York, 19th September 2007, lot 196; and a seated wood bodhisattva of similar clothing and proportions without a steed in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, illustrated in Hai-wai Yi-chen. Chinese Art in Overseas Collections. Buddhist Sculpture, vol. II, Taipei, 1990, pl. 152.