明 局部鎏金銅阿難尊者立像

sturdily cast standing upright on a lotus base with hands joined in anjalimudra, dressed in wide long-sleeved monk's robes, draped with a kashaya fastened over the left shoulder with a loop and hook tied with chords, the hems of the garments chased and engraved with foliate saw-tooth and wide scrolling lotus borders, the full face with downcast eyes and reverent expression, all supported on a separately cast hexagonal waisted stand, each side centered with a panel enclosing a lotus (2)

Collection of Leon and Jean Dalva, acquired in the 1950s or early 1960s, and thence by descent.

There are small patches scattered throughout, most noticeable on the hands and face of the figure. The top of the head is encircled with a ring of patches with infilled gaps. Most of these patches are original to manufacture and would have been hidden beneath the gilding. There are also numerous areas that have been filled with filler, such as around the base of the neck, sections of the right sleeve, both shoulders and back. Gaps possibly left during manufacture along the joins where the sleeves meet the body have also been filled, but gaps and some cracks remain on the underside of the sleeves. There are chips to the top of the figure's left ear and to the tip of one of the lotus petals on the base. There are also chips, cracks, a gap and fill around the lower edge of the lotus base and scattered firing flaws.The hexagonal base has some filled patches. The surface is weathered due to long term exposure to the elements, and there are small scattered chips and nicks. Overall the figure is impressive, stable and retains much of its integrity.
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.

Ananda was one of Buddha’s first cousins, and of all the disciples, had the most retentive memory.  Most of the sutras in the first part of the Pali Canon are attributed to his recollection of Buddha's teachings during the First Buddhist Council.

In the Chan Buddhist tradition, Kasyapa, another of Buddha's principle disciples, is considered the first Indian patriarch, and Ananda the second. The pair are often portrayed on either side of the Buddha. This arrangement is commonly found in caves in China dating from the Northern Wei dynasty (386-535), with Ananda standing to Buddha’s right and Kasyapa to the left, as seen in the Central Binyang Cave at Longmen, illustrated in Angela Falco Howard, Li Song, Wu Hung and Yang Hong, Chinese Sculpture, New Haven, 2006, p. 238, fig. 3.39. This standard iconographic arrangement continued through the Sui, Tang, Liao and Song periods, to the Ming dynasty.

Kasyapa is usually depicted as an old man, while Ananda, being related to Buddha and coming from the Himalayan foothills, was always depicted as a young man with East Asian features. The face and hands of the present figure closely resemble those of a similarly massive Ming dynasty figure of Weituo sold at Christie's New York, 16th September 1998, lot 292.  It is possible that these two figures may have come from a set of related figures made for the same temple.

Other massive Ming dynasty bronze figures of Zhenwu and Zhang Sanfeng still exist on Wudang Mountain, and are illustrated in Zhongguo meishu quanji, Diaosu bian, vol. 6, Yuan Ming Qing diaosu, Beijing, 1988, pp. 106-107.