Opinion: This is probably a rather important commission because during the Pala revival era, Buddhist images that were cast in solid silver were extremely scarce. Most only contain a small amount of silver inlay instead. This may also suggest that this is an early example, as solid silver images were more prevalent in Tibet before the 17^th century.

Seated in dhyanasana on a double lotus base with beaded rim, his principal hands in anjali mudra, the secondary hands holding a lotus flower and forming the vitarka mudra. Dressed in a diaphanous dhoti, richly adorned with fine beaded jewelry. The cold-gilded face with a serene expression and downcast eyes below gently arched brows, centered by an urna, flanked by elongated earlobes suspending two circular earrings, the hair tied in a high chignon secured by a foliate tiara. Note the finely gilt inlay work to both legs.

Provenance: From a private collection in Belgium.
Condition: Very good condition with old wear and casting irregularities, expected tarnishing to the silver, few minuscule nicks, rubbing to gilt, one of the celestial scarves possibly with a minor old repair.

Weight: 301.8 g
Dimensions: Height 13 cm

This figure follows Indian Pala period bronze prototypes, of which various examples were in the Chinese Imperial collection and which inspired the production of revival pieces during the first half of the Qing dynasty not only in Tibet, but also at the workshops of the Qing Imperial Court. It is an image of Shadakshari Lokeshvara, a form of the merciful and compassionate Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. This form of the deity is the ‘patron saint’ of Tibet and is known as the Lokeshvara of the Six Mystical Syllables: om mani pad me hum (Hail to the jewel in the lotus). All Dalai Lamas are believed to be reincarnations of Shadakshari Lokeshvara. In the 17^th century in Tibet, silver was seen as more precious than gilt bronze, and the process of obtaining silver was considerably more laborious than that for obtaining gold. As such, statues cast in solid silver were viewed as lavish, and were almost certainly commissions to accompany prayers for the favorable rebirth of an important loved one.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 2 Oct 2018, lot 77
Estimate: HKD 300,000 or approx. EUR 38,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A silver figure of Amitayus, Tibet, 17^th/18^th century
Expert remark: This comparable shows a figure, while of arguably lower quality, that dates to the same era in Tibetan history, and is of a related scale. Note the slightly smaller size (10.5 cm).



十七至十八世紀西藏局部鎏金四臂觀音銀橡，帕拉復興時期
四臂觀音結跏趺坐，雙手合十，副手拿著一朵蓮花；頭戴五葉寶冠；面部鎏金，面相端莊祥和，眼睛微閉，雙眉之間有白毫，眉彎連著鼻脛，長耳垂；衣飾瓔珞雕刻簡潔，頸、臂、手、腳均飾有裝飾鍊珠和釧環。形象典雅優美，充分錶現觀音慈悲與智慧的特質。腿上有精美的錯金紋飾。

專家注釋: 這可能是一個相當重要的委託，因為在帕拉復興時期，用純銀鑄造的佛像極為稀少。 大多數只含有少量的銀鑲嵌代替。 這也可能表明這是一個早期的例子，因為在十七世紀之前，純銀造像在西藏更為普遍。

來源：比利時私人收藏。
品相：狀況極好，有磨損和鑄造不規則現象，銀表面失去光澤，有一些微小的劃痕，鍍金有摩擦，其中一條披巾可能有輕微的修復。

重量：301.8 克
尺寸：高 13 厘米

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：香港邦瀚斯，2018年10月2日，lot 77
估價：HKD 300,000（相當於今日EUR 38,000）
描述：銀質無量壽佛像，西藏，十七/十八世紀
專家評論：此比較顯示一件造像，雖然品質較低，但可以追溯到同一時代的西藏，並且具有相近的規模。請注意尺寸稍小(10.5 厘米)。