明永樂 銅鎏金無量壽佛坐像 《大明永樂年施》款

sereinement assis en vajrasana sur un double socle lotiforme, les mains jointes l'une sur l'autre en dhyana mudra, le visage en méditation orné sur le front de l'urna, les paupières baissées, les lèvres finement dessinées esquissant un sourire, les cheveux retenus en un haut chignon surmonté par un bijou derrière une tiare à cinq pointes, vêtu d'un dhoti attaché par une ceinture de perles et paré de précieux bijoux, marque Da Ming Yongle nianzhi incisée sur le socle, non scellé

The figure is in overall very good condition. It is very finely cast, the gilding a rich golden tone. The attribute (vase) is missing, leaving a rectangular hole in the right hand. There is wear to the gilding on the raised parts of the casting including the lotus petals, the rim of the base, the knees, thumbs, nose, chin and partos of the crown. There is a ca. 0,5cm long dent to the lower back of the figure. There are traces of blue pigment in the hair. The base is open.
"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."

Amitayus is one of the three Long-life deities of Himalayan Buddhism and often represented in Tibetan sculpture, but rarely encountered among the Yongle period bronzes. Only one Amitayus is recorded in Ulrich von Schroeder’s survey of Tibetan monastery collections out of some fifty-four works bearing the inscription Da Ming Yongle nian shi, the same imperial mark that appears on the present example, see von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Hong Kong, 2001, Vol. II, p. 1281, pl. 358E. Another Amitayus is in the Beijing Palace Collection; see The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Buddhist Statues of Tibet, Hong Kong, 2003, p. 228, cat. no. 217. Both these bronzes measure approximately twenty-five centimetres in height. And a third Amitayus of approximately twenty-one centimetres is in the collections of the State Hermitage Museum, see Abode of Charity: Tibetan Buddhist Art, Saint Petersburg, 2015, p. 159, cat. no. 81. The measurements of these three bronzes are prescribed and standardised throughout the corpus of Yongle Buddhist bronzes, and the most commonly found dimensions among the imperial gifts to Tibetan monasteries and hierarchs. The smaller, more delicate proportions of this exquisite Amitayus are suggestive of a more personal talismanic icon. Only a relatively small number of imperial bronzes of this dimension or smaller were cast in the Yongle period, cf. the Chang Foundation’s eighteen centimetre Yongle mark and period Green Tara, see James Spencer, The Chang Foundation, Buddhist Images in Gilt Metal, Taipei, 1993, p. 110, cat. no. 48