16th Oct, 2025 11:00
TWO-DAY AUCTION: Fine Asian Art, Buddhism and Hinduism
29
A FINELY INLAID GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF AMITAYUS, EARLY QING DYNASTY
Sold for €16,900
including Buyer's Premium
Tibetan-Chinese, circa 1680-1750. Finely cast seated in dhyanasana on a double-lotus base with beaded edges, the hands lowered in dhyanamudra and supporting an amrita vase above his lap. Richly adorned in coral and turquoise-inlaid jewelry, the deity is dressed in a dhoti gathering at the base, a streaming sash strewn across the shoulders.
The face with a serene expression marked by downcast eyes, and slender lips pursed to form a gentle smile, the hair neatly arranged in a tall chignon topped by a jewel-form finial behind the elaborate foliate tiara.
Provenance: The private collection of Birgitta Berg, a Swedish flight attendant who purchased the present lot in Hong Kong during the 1960s, and thence by descent in the family. The interior lacquered with an old inventory number, ‘01891-223’.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and casting irregularities, including rivets to the interior of the lotus base. Minute nicks, light dings, small surface scratches, rubbing and losses to gilt, few losses to inlays with some possibly renewed. The base unsealed.
Weight: 646.6 g
Dimensions: Height 18.5 cm
Amitayus, a form of the Buddha Amitabha in Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism, is associated with longevity, wisdom, and immortality. He is typically depicted wearing an ornate crown and holding a vase of Amrita, the nectar of immortality. In Tibetan and Nepalese Buddhist art, Amitayus plays a central role in longevity rituals, revered for overcoming karmic obstacles. His image is widely represented in sculptures and temple decorations, symbolizing enlightenment and the aspiration for a long, spiritually fulfilled life.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 18 September 2013, lot 329
Price: USD 25,000 or approx. EUR 29,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt bronze figure of Amitayus, Tibeto-Chinese, 18th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of casting, and subject, with similar pose, features, crown, and wear to gilt. Note the size (26.8 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 15 December 2015, lot 44
Price: Sold for USD 15,000 or approx. EUR 17,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing.
Description: A gilt-bronze figure of Amitayus
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of casting, and subject, with similar pose, base, and size (17 cm).
Tibetan-Chinese, circa 1680-1750. Finely cast seated in dhyanasana on a double-lotus base with beaded edges, the hands lowered in dhyanamudra and supporting an amrita vase above his lap. Richly adorned in coral and turquoise-inlaid jewelry, the deity is dressed in a dhoti gathering at the base, a streaming sash strewn across the shoulders.
The face with a serene expression marked by downcast eyes, and slender lips pursed to form a gentle smile, the hair neatly arranged in a tall chignon topped by a jewel-form finial behind the elaborate foliate tiara.
Provenance: The private collection of Birgitta Berg, a Swedish flight attendant who purchased the present lot in Hong Kong during the 1960s, and thence by descent in the family. The interior lacquered with an old inventory number, ‘01891-223’.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and casting irregularities, including rivets to the interior of the lotus base. Minute nicks, light dings, small surface scratches, rubbing and losses to gilt, few losses to inlays with some possibly renewed. The base unsealed.
Weight: 646.6 g
Dimensions: Height 18.5 cm
Amitayus, a form of the Buddha Amitabha in Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism, is associated with longevity, wisdom, and immortality. He is typically depicted wearing an ornate crown and holding a vase of Amrita, the nectar of immortality. In Tibetan and Nepalese Buddhist art, Amitayus plays a central role in longevity rituals, revered for overcoming karmic obstacles. His image is widely represented in sculptures and temple decorations, symbolizing enlightenment and the aspiration for a long, spiritually fulfilled life.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 18 September 2013, lot 329
Price: USD 25,000 or approx. EUR 29,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt bronze figure of Amitayus, Tibeto-Chinese, 18th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of casting, and subject, with similar pose, features, crown, and wear to gilt. Note the size (26.8 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 15 December 2015, lot 44
Price: Sold for USD 15,000 or approx. EUR 17,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing.
Description: A gilt-bronze figure of Amitayus
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of casting, and subject, with similar pose, base, and size (17 cm).
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