A GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF WILLOW GUANYIN, TANG DYNASTY

China. Finely cast, the deity is standing in tribhanga on a small base, holding a willow branch in the raised right hand and a kamandalu (holy water vessel) in the pendent left. Adorned with beaded necklaces and a skirt folded neatly at the waist, the figure is further decorated with a long, flowing scarf draped over the shoulders and arms. Ribbons descend from an elaborate headdress centered by a small figure of Amitabha Buddha. A rectangular copper attachment extends from the back of the head. The figure is mounted on a rectangular, four-legged base with openwork sides.

Provenance: From a private collection in Japan.
Condition: Good condition with minor wear and casting irregularities. Light nicks mostly to base, few small dents, extensive wear and losses to gilt. The figure and the four-legged base are form the same period but may be associated. The bronze with a fine, naturally grown, smooth patina with areas of malachite and cuprite encrustation to the underside.

Weight: 279 g
Dimensions: Height 15.7 cm

With a wood storage box. (2)

Buddhism received support at almost all levels of society during the first 150 years of the Tang dynasty; however, many temples and artworks created during this period were destroyed during the Buddhist persecutions of the late Tang. Surviving paintings, architecture, and sculpture made of perishable materials are rare, but some traces can be found in Japan, where more artwork and structures of the same period have survived. Small-scale gilded bronze objects also allow valuable insight into the magnificence of this sculptural tradition. The contours of the slender body are well defined, characteristic of Buddhist sculpture in the high Tang dynasty. The curving form of the deity’s torso achieves an almost dancelike movement. This highly recognizable stylistic element of the swayed-hip posture became especially popular during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong (712-756), when sculptures in general became more dynamic in their design.

Avalokiteshvara, whose name in Chinese (Guanyin) means ‘one who observes or hears the pleas of devotees’, is the most represented of all Buddhist figures in Chinese art. Guanyin has been worshiped in many ways, including as one of the attendants to Amitabha, the Buddha of the Western Paradise. Chapter 25 of the Lotus Sutra lists his thirty-three forms and relates his ability to rescue believers from peril. Its vivid descriptions of Guanyin’s transformations – male to female, old to young – were an important source for Tang artists and those of later eras. To attract more devotees, Chinese artists continuously applied changing ideas of gender and physical beauty to Guanyin sculptures. Willow Guanyin was a very popular manifestation during the Tang dynasty and probably gained prominence after the early 8th century. An early example of this iconography is the mural painting of the Willow Guanyin on the west wall in Cave 320 of Dunhuang, in which the deity is depicted holding a willow branch in the right hand, and an ambrosia bottle in the left, just like the present figure.

Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related gilt-bronze figure of Avalokiteshvara (Guanyin), dated late 7^th to early 8^th century, 23 cm high, in the Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 33.91. Compare a closely related gilt-bronze figure of Willow Guanyin, dated to the Tang dynasty, 18.5 cm high, in the Collection of the Tsz Shan Monastery Buddhist Art Museum, accession number 2017.50.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 22 March 2023, lot 679
Price: USD 24,130 or approx. EUR 22,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A bronze figure of Avalokiteshvara, Tang dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of casting with similar swaying pose and billowing scarves. Note the size (16.2 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s Paris, 12 June 2012, lot 293
Price: EUR 25,000 or approx. EUR 30,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt-bronze figure of Guanyin, China, Tang dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of casting with similar swaying pose, billowing scarves, and wear to gilt. Note the size (14 cm).