10th Apr, 2025 11:00
TWO-DAY AUCTION: Fine Asian Art, Buddhism and Hinduism
53
A LARGE (67 CM) AND MAGNIFICENT GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF EKADASHAMUKHA AVALOKITESHVARA, QIANLONG
€15,000
€30,000
A buyer’s premium of 30.00% (including VAT) applies to the hammer price of this lot if your bid is successful.
Expert’s note: The present work exhibits many characteristics common to the Buddhist workshops of the Qianlong period, such as the combination of cast and repoussé parts, the languid and slightly effeminate treatment of the face and body, and the broad-petaled lotus base. The Qing court patronage of Buddhism that began under the Kangxi Emperor reached epic proportions under his grandson, Qianlong. The Buddhist centers of Beijing, Rehol, and Dolonnor produced thousands upon thousands of images to keep up with the demand of the numerous temples in and outside the capital. Large statues like the present lot, however, remained small in numbers and are extremely rare today.
China, 1736-1795. Superbly cast, the figure with eight arms and eleven heads arranged in five tiers, standing on a lotus base with beaded rim. The principal hands are held in anjali mudra while the remaining arms radiate around the slender body, with the uppermost pair of hands forming the vitarka mudra, the central hands thrust forward in shuni mudra, and the lowest in varada mudra. The deity wears a fine layered dhoti with neatly chased floral borders as well as two long billowing sashes and a deerskin draped around the shoulders, and is richly adorned with elaborate bejeweled necklaces and bangles embellished with inlays of coral and turquoise.
The heads with blue and red pigments to the hair, the cold-gilt faces sensitively modeled with serene expressions marked by sinuously lidded eyes, elegantly arched brows, and bow-shaped lips pursed to form a calm smile, each tier with foliate crown, save for one wrathful head below the uppermost head depicting Buddha Amitabha. The base sealed with a wood plate painted with a double vajra.
Provenance: Galerie Koller, Zurich, 7 June 1975, lot 1147. A private collection in Hessen, Germany, acquired from the above and thence by descent. The base with remnants of an old collector’s label.
Condition: Good condition with old wear, casting irregularities, small dents, rubbing to the gilt, few nicks, light scratches, one earring and the accoutrements lost, losses to inlays, some inlays possibly renewed, and few minor areas of malachite encrustations. The interior of the figure and base are filled with old materials.
Weight: 5.1 kg
Dimensions: Height 67 cm
There are twenty-one individual copper repoussé elements applied to decorate the main bronze figure:
- Two long billowing sashes
- Two wavy blue tresses of hair
- Thirteen earrings
- Four complete crowns that adorn the eleven heads
Literature comparison:
Compare a related figure of Avalokiteshvara, 49 cm high, in the Folkens Museum Etnografiska, Stockholm, inventory number 1931.48.0008.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams Paris, 10 December 2024, lot 81
Price: EUR 63,900
Description: A rare large gilt-bronze figure of eleven-headed Avalokiteshvara, 18th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related techniques and craftsmanship, also combining cast and repoussé elements, and exhibiting a similar treatment of the cold-gilt faces, hair, jewelry, and layered dhoti. Note the much smaller size (49 cm), the lacking base and other losses, and the generally rather poor condition of this example.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s Paris, 15 December 2022, lot 31
Price: EUR 226,800 or approx. EUR 238,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A large gilt-bronze standing figure of Maitreya, Qing dynasty, 18th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related techniques and craftsmanship, also combining cast and repoussé elements, and exhibiting a similar treatment of the cold-gilt and painted face as well as the sashes, jewelry, and base. Observe the identical size (66.8 cm) and matching base of both statues, which strongly suggests they were originally conceived as part of the same altar set, likely designed to be displayed together in a harmonious arrangement.
Expert’s note: The present work exhibits many characteristics common to the Buddhist workshops of the Qianlong period, such as the combination of cast and repoussé parts, the languid and slightly effeminate treatment of the face and body, and the broad-petaled lotus base. The Qing court patronage of Buddhism that began under the Kangxi Emperor reached epic proportions under his grandson, Qianlong. The Buddhist centers of Beijing, Rehol, and Dolonnor produced thousands upon thousands of images to keep up with the demand of the numerous temples in and outside the capital. Large statues like the present lot, however, remained small in numbers and are extremely rare today.
China, 1736-1795. Superbly cast, the figure with eight arms and eleven heads arranged in five tiers, standing on a lotus base with beaded rim. The principal hands are held in anjali mudra while the remaining arms radiate around the slender body, with the uppermost pair of hands forming the vitarka mudra, the central hands thrust forward in shuni mudra, and the lowest in varada mudra. The deity wears a fine layered dhoti with neatly chased floral borders as well as two long billowing sashes and a deerskin draped around the shoulders, and is richly adorned with elaborate bejeweled necklaces and bangles embellished with inlays of coral and turquoise.
The heads with blue and red pigments to the hair, the cold-gilt faces sensitively modeled with serene expressions marked by sinuously lidded eyes, elegantly arched brows, and bow-shaped lips pursed to form a calm smile, each tier with foliate crown, save for one wrathful head below the uppermost head depicting Buddha Amitabha. The base sealed with a wood plate painted with a double vajra.
Provenance: Galerie Koller, Zurich, 7 June 1975, lot 1147. A private collection in Hessen, Germany, acquired from the above and thence by descent. The base with remnants of an old collector’s label.
Condition: Good condition with old wear, casting irregularities, small dents, rubbing to the gilt, few nicks, light scratches, one earring and the accoutrements lost, losses to inlays, some inlays possibly renewed, and few minor areas of malachite encrustations. The interior of the figure and base are filled with old materials.
Weight: 5.1 kg
Dimensions: Height 67 cm
There are twenty-one individual copper repoussé elements applied to decorate the main bronze figure:
- Two long billowing sashes
- Two wavy blue tresses of hair
- Thirteen earrings
- Four complete crowns that adorn the eleven heads
Literature comparison:
Compare a related figure of Avalokiteshvara, 49 cm high, in the Folkens Museum Etnografiska, Stockholm, inventory number 1931.48.0008.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams Paris, 10 December 2024, lot 81
Price: EUR 63,900
Description: A rare large gilt-bronze figure of eleven-headed Avalokiteshvara, 18th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related techniques and craftsmanship, also combining cast and repoussé elements, and exhibiting a similar treatment of the cold-gilt faces, hair, jewelry, and layered dhoti. Note the much smaller size (49 cm), the lacking base and other losses, and the generally rather poor condition of this example.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s Paris, 15 December 2022, lot 31
Price: EUR 226,800 or approx. EUR 238,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A large gilt-bronze standing figure of Maitreya, Qing dynasty, 18th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related techniques and craftsmanship, also combining cast and repoussé elements, and exhibiting a similar treatment of the cold-gilt and painted face as well as the sashes, jewelry, and base. Observe the identical size (66.8 cm) and matching base of both statues, which strongly suggests they were originally conceived as part of the same altar set, likely designed to be displayed together in a harmonious arrangement.
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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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31 March - 9 April 2025
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