10th Apr, 2025 11:00
TWO-DAY AUCTION: Fine Asian Art, Buddhism and Hinduism
43
A GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF THE WILLOW LEAF GUANYIN, MING DYNASTY
€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. 16th-17th century. Well cast seated in dhyanasana, holding a willow stem in the raised right hand and a cup in the left hand, the face with a serene expression, downcast eyes and red lips, dressed in loose robes tied around the waist and open at the chest to reveal the beaded jewelry. The head surmounted by a tall crown centered by the Amitabha Buddha, the hair falling in two tassels at the shoulders, and the face flanked by pendulous earlobes suspending circular earrings.
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.
Inscriptions: The column incised with two characters, ‘yizheng’, and the underside of the lotus incised ‘da’.
Provenance: An 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, light warping to base, rubbing and losses to gilt, remnants of pigment, scattered small nicks, light scratches, the column slightly loose with an old repair to the joint.
Weight: 5.8 kg
Dimensions: Height 41.3 cm (total), 23.8 cm (the figure), 18.6 cm (the stand)
Expert’s note: The figure is meticulously inlaid with gilt copper plaques of rectangular shape, often referred to as casting patches, most noticeably on the back. These plaques may have once served a ritual purpose and are frequently observed in Buddhist sculptures.
According to the Lotus Sutra, Avalokiteshvara can take any form necessary to save sentient beings. Thirty-three manifestations of Avalokiteshvara are mentioned and are known to have been very popular in Chinese Buddhism as early as the Sui and Tang Dynasties. The present lot depicts the bodhisattva in a manifestation known as Bhaisajyaraja Avalokiteshvara, or the ‘Willow Leaf’ Guanyin in Chinese. In this form, the bodhisattva holds a vial or bowl of elixir in the left and a stalk of willow leaves in the right. The willow has evil dispelling properties and is used to sprinkle the elixir over devotees, which is believed to cure all physical and spiritual illnesses. This iconographic form was popular among devotees wishing for good health.
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.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 14 September 2012, lot 1271
Price: USD 32,500 or approx. EUR 42,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt-bronze figure of Guanyin and a gilt-bronze stand, Ming dynasty, 16th/17th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of casting with similar expression, base, robe, and attributes. Note the much smaller size size (33.8 cm overall).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams New York, 14 March 2016, lot 8038
Price: USD 35,000 or approx. EUR 44,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt bronze figure of Guanyin, Ming dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of casting, and gilding, with similar wear to the gilding. Note the similar size (39.5 cm).
China. 16th-17th century. Well cast seated in dhyanasana, holding a willow stem in the raised right hand and a cup in the left hand, the face with a serene expression, downcast eyes and red lips, dressed in loose robes tied around the waist and open at the chest to reveal the beaded jewelry. The head surmounted by a tall crown centered by the Amitabha Buddha, the hair falling in two tassels at the shoulders, and the face flanked by pendulous earlobes suspending circular earrings.
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.
Inscriptions: The column incised with two characters, ‘yizheng’, and the underside of the lotus incised ‘da’.
Provenance: An 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, light warping to base, rubbing and losses to gilt, remnants of pigment, scattered small nicks, light scratches, the column slightly loose with an old repair to the joint.
Weight: 5.8 kg
Dimensions: Height 41.3 cm (total), 23.8 cm (the figure), 18.6 cm (the stand)
Expert’s note: The figure is meticulously inlaid with gilt copper plaques of rectangular shape, often referred to as casting patches, most noticeably on the back. These plaques may have once served a ritual purpose and are frequently observed in Buddhist sculptures.
According to the Lotus Sutra, Avalokiteshvara can take any form necessary to save sentient beings. Thirty-three manifestations of Avalokiteshvara are mentioned and are known to have been very popular in Chinese Buddhism as early as the Sui and Tang Dynasties. The present lot depicts the bodhisattva in a manifestation known as Bhaisajyaraja Avalokiteshvara, or the ‘Willow Leaf’ Guanyin in Chinese. In this form, the bodhisattva holds a vial or bowl of elixir in the left and a stalk of willow leaves in the right. The willow has evil dispelling properties and is used to sprinkle the elixir over devotees, which is believed to cure all physical and spiritual illnesses. This iconographic form was popular among devotees wishing for good health.
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.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 14 September 2012, lot 1271
Price: USD 32,500 or approx. EUR 42,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt-bronze figure of Guanyin and a gilt-bronze stand, Ming dynasty, 16th/17th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of casting with similar expression, base, robe, and attributes. Note the much smaller size size (33.8 cm overall).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams New York, 14 March 2016, lot 8038
Price: USD 35,000 or approx. EUR 44,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt bronze figure of Guanyin, Ming dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of casting, and gilding, with similar wear to the gilding. Note the similar size (39.5 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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