Important Chinese Art

A well-cast gilt-bronze figure of Amitayus, Qing Dynasty, Kangxi period | 清康熙鎏金銅無量壽佛坐像

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Auction Closed

November 3, 05:23 PM GMT

Estimate

10,000 - 15,000 GBP

Lot Details

Description

A well-cast gilt-bronze figure of Amitayus

Qing Dynasty, Kangxi period

清康熙鎏金銅無量壽佛坐像

finely cast seated in vajraparyankasana on a double-lotus base, depicted with hands held in dhyana mudra supporting a bumpa, his face with a serene expression and framed by an elaborate headdress and a pair of pendulous earlobes adorned with ornamental earrings, clad in loose clothing with finely detailed floral hems and a billowing shawl falling neatly over the lotus base, the front of the base incised with an apocryphal reign mark

Height 20 cm, 7 7/8 in.

Collection of A. J. Speelman, London.

史博曼收藏

This finely cast figure of Amitayus belongs to a small group of sculptures made during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor who was a devout follower of Tibetan Buddhism. Figures in this group were made in an array of sizes and portray Amitayus seated on a double lotus base, draped in jewellery embellished with colourful semi-precious stones. Such portrayals are characteristic of imagery used by Tibetans. The current figure is probably from the same set as other well-cast gilt-bronze figures of Amitayus recorded in museum collectsions, including one example in the Qing court collectsion, now in the Palace Museum, Beijing, published in Buddhist Statues of Tibet: The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2003, p. 238, cat. no. 227.