Expert’s note: This seems to be by far the largest and most detailed of all early Tang dynasty gilt repoussé votive plaques that have been on the market in a long time. The extent to which this magnificent work of art was cherished by Hisazo Nagatani becomes best perceptible when one looks at the Japanese storage box in which this jewel was kept, with its outer casing, neatly inscribed and made from light wood and elegant red lacquer, the inner storage box with its abundant padding, tightly fitted to the exact dimensions of the plaque itself.

China, 618-907, circa 7^th century. The thin plaque finely decorated with the central figure of Buddha seated in dhyanasana atop an elaborate lotus throne growing from neatly incised waves flanked by two lions, his right hand raised in abhaya mudra and his left lowered in varada mudra, wearing loose-fitting robes cascading in voluminous folds, a flaming halo behind him and the bodhi tree towering above, flanked by two acolytes and surrounded by groups of worshipping monks and attendant bodhisattvas, all below swirling clouds and two flying apsaras.

Provenance: From the collection of Hisazo Nagatani, and thence by descent within the family. The lacquered and padded wood box with an old label, ‘Gilt Bronze Slab’. Hisazo Nagatani (1905-1994) was a Japanese-American collector, scholar, and noted dealer of Asian art. Growing up near his birthplace Osaka, he developed a passion for Asian art early on and joined Yamanaka & Co. in 1922, at the age of only 17. He soon moved to Beijing, traveling throughout China, and handling bronzes, porcelains, jades, and other works of art, before relocating to the United States. He eventually became the manager of the Yamanaka gallery on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago until the firm had to cease operations in the United States. In 1944, he opened his own gallery, Nagatani & Co., which flourished for many decades, selling to such important collectors as Robert Mayer, Stephen Junkunc, Avery Brundage, and the Alsdorfs. Nagatani later donated many of his works of art and his important library to museums.
Condition: Good and original condition, commensurate with age, displaying simply spectacularly. Extensive wear, tears and losses, minor dents, small nicks, light scratches. Fine, naturally grown patina with malachite encrustations to the front, the back with extensive malachite, cuprite, and azurite encrustations. The gilt remarkably well preserved overall.

Weight: 303.2 g
Dimensions: Height 24.4 cm (the plaque), Size 7 x 38.4 x 29.2 cm (the padded storage box) and 11 x 40.6 x 31.3 cm (the lacquered box)

With a Japanese wood storage box, the inner silk padding fitted specifically for the present plaque, and an old Japanese lacquered wood box. (3)

Literature comparison:
Similar images of the Buddha seated under a roofed structure flanked by numerous bodhisattvas can be found in paintings from the Dunhuang caves, dated to the early 8th century, as evidenced by the fragment in the British Museum, illustrated by A. Farrer and R. Whitfield, Caves of the Thousand Buddhas: Chinese Art from the Silk Route, New York, 1990, page 24, no. 1 and cover. Compare, also, the gilt-bronze plaque in the Hakutsuru Fine Art Museum, Kobe, dated to the Sui dynasty of significantly smaller size (15.4 cm. high) with similar imagery, but lacking the Bodhi tree, illustrated by S. Mizuno, Bronze and Stone Sculpture of China from the Yin to the T'ang Dynasty, Tokyo, 1960, fig. 123.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 24 March 2004, lot 74
Price: USD 17,925 or approx. EUR 27,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A small gilt-metal Buddhist plaque, Tang dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and subject with a similar depiction of the Buddha seated under a canopy surrounded by bodhisattvas and worshippers, as well as the similar tear line at the top. Note the much smaller size (9.2 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 29 October 2001, lot 507
Price: HKD 1,035,000 or approx. EUR 183,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A very rare repoussé gilt-copper Buddhist votive plaque, early Tang dynasty, 7^th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and subject with a similar depiction of the Buddha seated under a canopy surrounded by bodhisattvas and worshippers. Note the smaller size (19.2 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 30 March 2005, lot 237
Price: USD 102,000 or approx. EUR 150,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare gilt-copper Buddhist plaque, early Tang dynasty, 7^th century
Expert remark: Note the significantly smaller size (11.4 cm).

唐初大型重要許願錘鍱鎏金銅牌
中國，618-907年，約七世紀。薄薄的銅牌上精美錘鍱佛陀坐禪坐於蓮座上，蓮座從波浪中升起，兩側是兩隻獅子，右手上舉施無畏印，左手下垂施與願印，身著長袍，衣褶條紋流暢，身後有光背。菩提樹高高聳立，兩側有僧眾、侍從菩薩，兩飛天。

專家注釋：這似乎是迄今為止在市場上出售的所有唐代早期鎏金復刻許願牌中最大和敘述最詳細的。永谷壽三十分珍視這件藝術品。外包裝為日本紅漆木盒，盒内有內襯，與銅牌本身的尺寸緊密貼合。

來源：永谷壽三收藏，保存在同一家族至今。漆盒上有舊標籤“Gilt Bronze Slab”。永谷壽三 (1905-1994) 是一位美籍日裔收藏家與知名亞洲藝術商人，曾是山中公司的芝加哥藝廊經理，1944年以自己名字成立永谷商會（前山中商會芝加哥分店）。他在大阪附近出生並長大，很早就對亞洲藝術產生了濃厚的興趣，並於 1922 年加入山中藝廊，年僅 17 歲。他很快移居北京，周遊中國，在搬遷到美國之前，一直做青銅、瓷器、玉器、 和其他藝術作品的生意。後來，他成為芝加哥山中畫廊的經理，直到該公司關閉在美國的生意。1944 年，他創立了永谷商會，該商會蓬勃發展了數十年，向Robert Mayer、Stephen Junkunc、Avery Brundage 和Alsdorfs等重要收藏家出售作品。永谷後來將他的許多藝術作品和他的重要圖書館捐贈給了博物館。
品相：良好的原始狀況，大面積磨損、缺損、輕微凹痕和小劃痕。細膩的包漿，正面有綠色結殼，背面有大量綠色、紅藍結殼。鎏金整體保存得非常好。

重量：303.2 克
尺寸：高24.4 厘米(銅牌)，7 x 38.4 x 29.2 厘米(内襯)，11 x 40.6 x 31.3 厘米(漆盒)

日本木盒，內層絲綢填充物放置銅牌，還有一個老漆木盒。

文獻比較：
相似的八世紀初期敦煌壁畫，描繪佛陀坐於屋簷下，兩側有僧眾、侍從菩薩，正如大英博物館殘片所示，見A. Farrer和R. Whitfield，《Caves of the Thousand Buddhas: Chinese Art from the Silk Route》，紐約，1990年，頁24，編號1和封面。比較一件隋代鎏金銅牌，有相似的設計，但沒有菩提樹，尺寸較小(高15.4厘米)，收藏於神戶的白鶴美術館，見S. Mizuno，《Bronze and Stone Sculpture of China from the Yin to the T'ang Dynasty》，東京，1960年，圖123。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2004年3月24日，lot 74
價格：USD 17,925（相當於今日EUR 27,500）
描述：唐代鎏金屬佛陀牌
專家評論：比較非常相近的外型和主題，描繪相似的佛陀坐於屋簷下，兩側有僧眾、侍從菩薩，上半部有相似的撕裂痕跡。請注意尺寸較小(9.2厘米)。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：香港佳士得，2001年10月29日，lot 507
價格：HKD 1,035,000（相當於今日EUR 183,000）
描述：七世紀唐代初期許願錘鍱鎏金銅牌
專家評論：比較非常相近的外型和主題，描繪相似的佛陀坐於棚頂下，兩側有僧眾、侍從菩薩。請注意尺寸較小(19.2厘米)。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2005年3月30日，lot 237
價格：USD 102,000（相當於今日EUR 150,000）
描述：七世紀唐代初期鎏金銅牌
專家評論：請注意尺寸較小(11.4厘米)。