10th Apr, 2025 11:00
TWO-DAY AUCTION: Fine Asian Art, Buddhism and Hinduism
42
A GILT-BRONZE OF GUANYIN SEATED ON A CIRCULAR LOTUS STAND, 16TH-17TH CENTURY
€7,500
€15,000
A buyer’s premium of 30.00% (including VAT) applies to the hammer price of this lot if your bid is successful.
China. Finely cast seated in dhyanasana, holding a willow stem in the raised right hand and a cup in the left, with a serene expression and downcast eyes. Her finely detailed hair is surmounted by the Amithaba Buddha on a throne and covered by a cowl, the robe is tied in a sash at the waist and open at the chest to reveal a tasseled jeweled necklace. The hems of the robe are intricately incised with floral hems and the cowl is decorated with scrolling clouds.
The separate bronze pedestal stand is cast with rows of lotus leaves supported on a hexagonal base cast with crashing waves from which emerges the columnar support.
Provenance: Old European private collection. The Property of a Lady in the United Kingdom, acquired from the above.
Condition: Good condition with expected wear, casting irregularities, small nicks, light scratches, rubbing and minor losses to gilt, the column joint with soldering marks, a tiny loss to the lower side of the lotus, and remnants of pigment. The bronze with a rich, naturally grown, dark patina.
Weight: 5.3 kg
Dimensions: Height 41.5 cm (total), 24 cm (the figure), 17.8 cm (the stand)
This figure of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara portrays the deity in a Sinicized form, with feminine features and a cowl draped over the tall chignon. This form began to emerge during the mid to late Ming dynasty, and is still the form of Avalokiteshvara popular in East Asia today, where the deity is known as Guanyin. The bodhisattva holds a lotus, which is a symbol of purity, as the lotus grows in the depths of muddy waters, yet is able to emerge clean and pure. The lotus also serves as the bodhisattva's throne, bearing the deity aloft above the seas of samsara, the cycle of birth and rebirth, known in Chinese as the 'bitter sea' in which sentient beings trapped in the cycle are born and reborn, again and again. In the present lot, sentient beings are represented by the horse, pig and other marine creatures, whose only salvation is the mercy and compassion of Guanyin.
Buddhist gilt-bronze figures were produced almost from the beginning when Buddhism was embraced by various courts of China’s division after the Han dynasty. Until the Tang dynasty, however, they remained very small. One of the earliest developments away from small votive images took place in the Khitan Liao dynasty, when statues not only became bigger but also developed stylistically towards a more sculptural aesthetic. During the early Ming period the court took complete control of their production, and a distinct classic style was devised that would determine the design of all future Buddhist gilt-bronze images, including the present lot.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related gilt-bronze figure of a Seated Avalokiteshvara and Child, dated to the Ming dynasty, 16th-17th century, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Recently Acquired Gilt Bronze Buddhist Images, 1996, no. 23. Compare a closely related larger gilt-bronze figure of Avalokiteshvara, dated by inscription to 1660, 107 cm high, at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, Gods and Beasts – Gilt Bronzes from the Speelman Collection, 8 April 2014, lot 88.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams London, 8 November 2012, lot 272
Price: GBP 27,500 or approx. EUR 52,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt-bronze figure of Guanyin, Ming dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the serene expression, the hair and cowl, as well as the size of the figure (27 cm). Note the missing base.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams London, 16 May 2024, lot 57
Price: GBP 63,900 or approx. EUR 77,500 converted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt-bronze figure of Guanyin and a stand, 17th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of casting with similar pose, expression, hair, and cowl. Note the related size of figure (29 cm) and stand (17.5 cm).
China. Finely cast seated in dhyanasana, holding a willow stem in the raised right hand and a cup in the left, with a serene expression and downcast eyes. Her finely detailed hair is surmounted by the Amithaba Buddha on a throne and covered by a cowl, the robe is tied in a sash at the waist and open at the chest to reveal a tasseled jeweled necklace. The hems of the robe are intricately incised with floral hems and the cowl is decorated with scrolling clouds.
The separate bronze pedestal stand is cast with rows of lotus leaves supported on a hexagonal base cast with crashing waves from which emerges the columnar support.
Provenance: Old European private collection. The Property of a Lady in the United Kingdom, acquired from the above.
Condition: Good condition with expected wear, casting irregularities, small nicks, light scratches, rubbing and minor losses to gilt, the column joint with soldering marks, a tiny loss to the lower side of the lotus, and remnants of pigment. The bronze with a rich, naturally grown, dark patina.
Weight: 5.3 kg
Dimensions: Height 41.5 cm (total), 24 cm (the figure), 17.8 cm (the stand)
This figure of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara portrays the deity in a Sinicized form, with feminine features and a cowl draped over the tall chignon. This form began to emerge during the mid to late Ming dynasty, and is still the form of Avalokiteshvara popular in East Asia today, where the deity is known as Guanyin. The bodhisattva holds a lotus, which is a symbol of purity, as the lotus grows in the depths of muddy waters, yet is able to emerge clean and pure. The lotus also serves as the bodhisattva's throne, bearing the deity aloft above the seas of samsara, the cycle of birth and rebirth, known in Chinese as the 'bitter sea' in which sentient beings trapped in the cycle are born and reborn, again and again. In the present lot, sentient beings are represented by the horse, pig and other marine creatures, whose only salvation is the mercy and compassion of Guanyin.
Buddhist gilt-bronze figures were produced almost from the beginning when Buddhism was embraced by various courts of China’s division after the Han dynasty. Until the Tang dynasty, however, they remained very small. One of the earliest developments away from small votive images took place in the Khitan Liao dynasty, when statues not only became bigger but also developed stylistically towards a more sculptural aesthetic. During the early Ming period the court took complete control of their production, and a distinct classic style was devised that would determine the design of all future Buddhist gilt-bronze images, including the present lot.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related gilt-bronze figure of a Seated Avalokiteshvara and Child, dated to the Ming dynasty, 16th-17th century, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Recently Acquired Gilt Bronze Buddhist Images, 1996, no. 23. Compare a closely related larger gilt-bronze figure of Avalokiteshvara, dated by inscription to 1660, 107 cm high, at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, Gods and Beasts – Gilt Bronzes from the Speelman Collection, 8 April 2014, lot 88.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams London, 8 November 2012, lot 272
Price: GBP 27,500 or approx. EUR 52,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt-bronze figure of Guanyin, Ming dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the serene expression, the hair and cowl, as well as the size of the figure (27 cm). Note the missing base.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams London, 16 May 2024, lot 57
Price: GBP 63,900 or approx. EUR 77,500 converted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt-bronze figure of Guanyin and a stand, 17th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of casting with similar pose, expression, hair, and cowl. Note the related size of figure (29 cm) and stand (17.5 cm).
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Auction: TWO-DAY AUCTION: Fine Asian Art, Buddhism and Hinduism, 10th Apr, 2025
Galerie Zacke is privileged to present a remarkable two-day live auction event, featuring 684 works of art from China, Southeast Asia, India, and beyond.
The highlight is our flagship live auction on Day 1, showcasing lots 1-269, Among the many standout pieces are a ge-type octagonal bowl from the Southern Song dynasty, part of the Jules Speelman collection (lot 137), a rare 1st-2nd century gold figure of a mother goddess from the Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum collection (lot 176), as well as a group of four parcel-gilt bronze Bodhisattvas from the Bao-Xiang Lo Palace and Temple, with Qianlong marks and of the period (lot 52).
Day 2 continues with our general auction (lots 270-684), offering seasoned collectors and new bidders alike an opportunity to enhance their collections. Learn more.
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