A GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF AMITAYUS, TIBET, 15TH-16TH CENTURY

Finely cast seated in dhyanasana on a double-lotus base with beaded rims, cradling the overflowing kalasa in his lap, adorned with abundant jewelry inlaid with turquoise glass, his lower body clad in a smoothly fitted dhoti secured with a beaded belt, the serene face with downcast eyes beneath sloping brows, straight nose, and pursed lips, the forehead centered by an urna, and crowned with a foliate tiara.

Provenance: Eskenazi, Milan, Italy, 1990s. A private collection in Milan, Italy, acquired from the above in the 1990s. The interior with an old label from ‘Eskenazi Milano’. Eskenazi was established in Milan in 1923 by the banker Vittorio Carmona. In 1926 it was managed by his nephew, Vittorio Eskenazi (1906-1987), who incorporated the business under his own name. Born in Constantinople, Eskenazi held British citizenship and worked for British Intelligence during WWII. He returned to Milan after the war, working first as an auctioneer and then again as an art dealer. Due to the growing importance of London in the international art market, Vittorio’s cousin Isaac Eskenazi (1913-1967) opened a branch in London and was later joined by his son Guiseppe Eskenazi (b. 1939) who has also worked at his uncle’s gallery in Milan. In the following years the company opened several more galleries and gained an impeccable reputation in the market. Over the years Eskenazi’s clients have included over 80 museums and institutions from all over the world, as well as many internationally important private collectors.
Condition: Good condition with expected wear, casting irregularities, losses to inlays, small nicks, remnants of pigment to hair and lacquer-gilding to neck, rubbing and losses to gilding, the copper beneath with a warm patina, most likely resulting from centuries of tactile worship. The base unsealed.

Weight: 372 g
Dimensions: Height 13 cm

Expert’s note: This fine gilt-bronze figure of Amitayus is an example of Newar influence on China and the autonomously-ruled Southeastern regions of Tibet under the Yuan and early Ming dynasties. The floral earrings and crown point to this influence, while the wide features of the face point to the place of production being Eastern Tibet. Compare a Yuan-dynasty gilt copper-alloy figure of Manjushri, dated 1305, 18.1 cm high, in the Qing Palace Collection, published Complete Collection of the Treasures of the Palace Museum, 60: Buddhist Statues of Tibet, Hong Kong, 1998, p. 220, no. 209.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 12 September 2018, lot 308
Price: USD 16,250 or approx. EUR 14,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt-bronze figure of Amitayus, Tibet, 15^th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of casting, subject, and size (12.4 cm). Note the lack of inlays.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s Paris, 12 July 2022, lot 750
Price: EUR 10,710 or approx. EUR 11,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt-bronze figure of Amitayus, Tibet, 15^th-16^th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of casting, inlays, and subject. Note the size (16.3 cm).