明永樂 鎏金銅觀世音菩薩坐像 《大明永樂年施》款

the finely cast bodhisattva seated in lalitasana on a double-lotus pedestal with the right foot supported on a lotus emerging from the base, depicted with the right hand lowered on the knee holding an amrita bottle and the left held in kartari mudra in front of the chest, both hands holding long stems of lotus flowers blossoming at the shoulders, dressed in a dhoti fastened below the waist by a beaded girdle, the shoulders covered with a scarf, the chest, arms and feet richly adorned in beaded jewels, the face in a serene expression with eyes in a downcast gaze, the forehead marked with an urna, the blue painted hair drawn up in a knotted jatamakuta behind an ornate diadem fixed with saches billowing behind the ears, the front of the base incised with a horizontal six-character mark, the double-vajra decorated base sealed

Tuyet Nguyet and Stephen Markbreiter 伉儷收藏
香港蘇富比2010年10月7日，編號2146

The overall condition is very good. The gilding is in very good condition with rubbing to the places that were handled the most including the hands, sole of the foot, and lower back side. There are traces of the bright original blue pigment left, with possibly later added dark blue pigments in the hair. There is a small hole in the head behind the top of the crown that appears to have been a jewel that was placed which is now missing. The face is in almost original condition, with pigments remaining in the eyes and lips and a very shiny gold finish to the face. The base plate has been removed and replaced with a later base plate and the contents removed.
"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."

永宣二朝，觀音造像諸式多變，足證觀音信仰在明初之盛。此永樂觀音坐像，執蓮持瓶，沿取唐時已見風行之態，澄心悅目。唐朝握持長壽寶瓶與蓮花之觀音法相，常見於雕塑與繪畫上，如參見 Wladimir Zwalf 編，《Buddhism: Art and Faith》，倫敦，1985年，編號291。同書另載一五代繪畫，以及一紀年947年之五代木刻版畫，皆飾有持瓶執蓮之菩薩，且有誦讚大慈大悲救苦救難觀世音菩薩之詞句，出處同上，編號317及330。Roderick Whitfield 指，此二幅五代菩薩像中寶瓶乃藥瓶。另參考一五代木刻版畫，見觀音菩薩握持淨瓶柳枝，象徵驅疾治病，出處同上，編號334。本尊菩薩坐像拈蓮握瓶，與傳統中國盛行之觀音形象相乎，承載信眾祈求菩薩救病去疾、慈懷濟世之願。

此尊鎏金像，雖見喜馬拉雅地區塑像藝風的影響，此式之觀音像在西藏卻並不普見，似乎永樂宮廷佛像風格之倡導者，並未受西藏當地佛教風俗之影響。事實上，不只是此尊，永宣年間觀音菩薩造像，均循印度風格作男相，有別於漢式女相。此舉或為還原當初觀世音菩薩自印度傳入中國的原始法相，況且此類造像，多為藏傳佛教信眾而製，是以男相更見合宜。與此相類之菩薩像例，至少有三。拉薩布達拉宮藏一尊，見於 Ulrich von Schroeder，《西藏佛教雕塑》，香港，2001年，編號355A，另 Berti Aschmann 收藏一尊，現存瑞士萊特堡美術館，見於 Helmut Uhlig，《On the Path to Enlightenment》，蘇黎世，1995年，編號52，還有一尊屬比利時J.P.H.Y.寶蓄，見 Jan van Alphen，《Cast for Eternity》，安特衛普，2004年，編號78。

觀音姿態安逸親和，右手作慈悲手印，展現菩薩和藹可親之特質，眼唇施彩，突顯垂目俯視，盡顯法相慈悲。歷數百載，僅見鎏金輕磨，足見信徒對坐像之珍重崇敬。