China, mid-18^th to 19^th century. Superbly carved, seated in dhyanasana with the hands lowered in dhyana mudra, supporting a globular jewel, wearing a loose-fitting robe falling down the body in naturalistic folds, the wide face bearing a contemplative and serene expression marked by heavy-lidded downcast eyes and framed by long pendulous earlobes and sharply carved curls of hair surrounding a small ushnisha. The stone of an intense, striking blue hue amid veins in various shades of gray beneath glimmering mica flecks.

Provenance: A private collection in New England, USA. A notable private collector in Kensington, London, United Kingdom, acquired from the above.
Condition: Excellent condition with minor old wear and possibly microscopic nicks here and there. The stone with natural inclusions and fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks over time.

Weight: 301.5 g
Dimensions: Height 10 cm

With a velvet-padded silk storage box. (2)

Lapis lazuli was highly prized during the Qianlong period, as evidenced by a pair of Qianlong period stone lions dyed to imitate the stone, included in the exhibition Tributes from Guangdong to the Qing Court, Hong Kong, 1987, cat. Nos. 71 and 72, and a Qianlong period lapis lazuli mountain in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, illustrated in Michael Knight, He Li and Terese Tse Bartholomew, Chinese Jades, San Francisco, 2007, plate 354. The stone was mostly imported from Afghanistan, and was used principally for carving vessels, figures in relatively small sizes and boulder or grotto carvings, often with solitary luohans. Little Buddha figures, such as the present lot, were often made for smaller Imperial altars during the late 18th century and onwards.

Literature comparison:
Examples of lapis lazuli figures of Buddha are illustrated in Buddhist Art from Rehol, Tibetan Buddhist Images and Ritual Objects from the Qing Dynasty Summer Palace at Chengde, Taipei, 1999, no.81; and by M. Knight, He Li and T. Tse Bartholomew, Chinese Jades, San Francisco, 2007, no. 327, dated to the 18th century. Compare a closely related lapis lazuli figure of Buddha, dated 18^th century, exhibited by the Oriental Ceramic Society at Bonhams London, Reginald and Lena Palmer, their Collection, and the Oriental Ceramic Society, 1921-1970, 27 October 2021. Compare a closely related lapis lazuli figure of Buddha, 18th century, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 30.95.324. Compare a closely related ivory figure of Buddha, dated late Ming to early Qing dynasty, illustrated by Gerard Tsang and Hugh Moss, Arts from the Scholar's Studio, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1986, p. 143, cat. no. 113.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams San Francisco, 25 June 2013, lot 8009
Price: USD 52,500 or approx. EUR 65,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A carved lapis lazuli figure of the Buddha
Expert remark: Compare the related carving style and the similarities of the stone. Note the larger size (18cm).



清代青金石佛像
中國，十八世紀中期至十九世紀。精雕細琢，阿彌陀佛結珈趺坐，雙手結印，托寳珠，身穿寬鬆長袍，紋理流暢，面容慈祥，雙眼微垂，長耳垂，螺髻。青金石閃爍的雲母斑點，深淺不一的灰色紋理，醒目的藍色。

來源：美國新英格蘭私人收藏；英國倫敦肯辛頓知名私人收藏，購於上述收藏。
品相：狀況極好，有輕微磨損，大面積微小劃痕。具有天然紋理和裂縫的石料，其中一些可能隨著時間的推移發展成細小的裂縫。

重量：301.5 克
尺寸：高10 厘米

天鵝絨内襯盒子。

青金石在乾隆時期備受推崇，乾隆時期曾有一對仿青金石石獅，見廣東向清廷貢品展覽（香港，1987年，目錄編號 71與 72），以及舊金山亞洲美術館館藏青金石山子，見 Michael Knight， He Li and Terese Tse Bartholomew，《Chinese Jades》，舊金山，2007年，插圖 354。石料大部分是來自阿富汗，主要用於雕刻器皿、尺寸相對較小的人物以及山子，還有羅漢與佛陀造像，例如現拍品，通常是在十八世紀後為皇家祭廟製作。

文獻比較：
青金石佛像的例子，見《清宮秘藏：承德避暑山莊藏傳佛教文物特展圖錄》, 台北，1999年，編號81；以及另一件十八世紀的例子，見M. Knight，He Li and T. Tse Bartholomew，《China Jades》，舊金山，2007年，插圖327。比較一件非常相近的十八世紀青金石佛像，由東方陶瓷學會展出於倫敦邦瀚斯〈Reginald and Lena Palmer，their Collection〉，見〈東方陶瓷學會1921-1970〉，2021年10月27日。比較一件非常相近的十八世紀青金石佛像，收藏於大都會藝術博物館，編號30.95.324。比較一件非常相近的明末清初象牙雕佛像，見Gerard Tsang and Hugh Moss，《Arts from the Scholar's Studio》，香港大學美術博物館，香港，1986年，頁143，圖錄編號113。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：舊金山邦瀚斯，2013年6月25日，lot 8009
價格：USD 52,500（相當於今日EUR 65,500）
描述：青金石佛像
專家評論：比較相近的雕刻風格和石質。請注意尺寸較大 (18厘米)。