LARGE AND RARE GILT BRONZE STATUETTE OF A GREEN... Lot 36

LARGE AND RARE GILT BRONZE STATUETTE OF A GREEN TARA 15th century A WELL-CAST RARE LARGE GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF GREEN TARA 15th century Seated in lalitasana on a double-lotus base, the right foot resting on an individual lotus issuing from the base, with hands held varada and vitarkamudra and holding long multi-stemmed lotus flowers blossoming at the shoulders, dressed in an fine dhoti tied below the waist and elegantly falling over legs and base, a fine shawl covering the shoulders, adorned with beaded necklaces, arm and ankle bracelets, the face rendered with a benevolent expression, with downcast eyes below arched brows and a gentle smile, framed by pendulous earlobes with large wheel-shaped earrings, an elaborate crown framing a high chignon. 39cm (15 3/8in) high. Footnotes: THE PROPERTY OF A DISTINGUISHED EUROPEAN FAMILY 歐洲顯赫家族藏品 十五世紀 銅鎏金綠度母像 Provenance: Acquired by the parents of the present owners, and thence by descent 來源: 現任藏家父母獲得，並由後人保存迄今 This exquisite, finely cast large gilt-bronze figure depicts Tara, the Mother of all Buddhas', a Bodhisattva of compassion and action, and important protector. Here she is shown seated in the posture posture of ease, with the left leg folded in the contemplative position and the right leg stretched out and ready to spring into action. Tara, Mother of the Victorious Ones, is worshipped by Buddhists as a saviour and liberator from the earthly realm of birth and rebirth. In Tibetan mythology the goddess is believed to have emerged from a lotus bud rising from a lake of tears shed for the suffering of sentient beings by the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, with a face 'embodying the delicacy of a million lotus blossoms', see G.Mullin, Mystical Verses of a Dalai Lama, New Delhi, 2003, p.57. Tibetan Buddhism or Lamaism saw a considerable increase in popularity in China under the Mongols, who had adopted it as their national religion even before their conquest of China. As a consequence of political and religious ties between the imperial court and the dominant Tibetan religious orders, and the exchange of gifts between the court and Tibetan hierarchs, during the Yuan and in the early Ming dynasty the influence of Himalayan sculptural styles began to make an impart on Buddhist imagery. Early fourteenth century woodblocks made for the monastery of Yangshen Yuan, Hangzhou, are evidence of a new style appearing in Chinese Buddhist art, see H.Karmay, Early Sino-Tibetan Art, Warminster, 1975, pp.47-50, pls.26, 29 and 30. The gently smiling faces, fully rounded figures and tiered thrones in these woodblock prints reflect the Newar styles favoured in Tibet, and introduced into China by Nepalese artists working at the Ming court. Bronzes of the Yongle and Xuande period were now adorned with sumptuous crowns, earrings, bracelets, and strings of pearls, as seen in the present example whose broad shoulders, smooth torso, and long legs derive from earlier Indian traditions as do the diaphanous clothing and armbands. The opulent jewellery and elaborate crown that adorn this figure are majestic and reflect the 'glittering display of imperial splendour' of the Ming court, see H.Uhlig, On the Path to Enlightenment: The Berti Aschmann Foundation of Tibetan Art at the Museum Rietberg Zurich, 1995, p.18. Most surviving sculpture from the Yongle and Xuande periods bears imperial inscriptions and suggests that Tibetan-style Buddhism probably was little practiced outside the imperial court, and that so most images were made for the court. Although this figure is not inscribed with an imperial mark, the refined quality and large size place it alongside the finest examples of Buddhist sculpture made in the early to mid-Ming period. Stylistically it may be compared to two gilt-bronze figures formerly in the Beti Aschmann collection and now in the Rietberg Museum in Zurich, one a seated figure of Manjusri, the second a kneeling figure of a Bodhisattva both with Xuande bestowal marks, published in Helmut Uhlig, On the Path to Enlightenment. The Berti Aschmann Foundation of Tibetan Art at the Museum Rietberg Zurich, 1995, pp.118-9, no.68 (fig.1), and pp.122-3, no.72. Compare also with a gilt-bronze figure of Amitayus bearing a Xuande mark, sold Christie's Hong Kong, 31 May 2010, lot 1961, and another example from the Soame Jenyns collection, sold at Christie's London, 6 November 2018, lot 26. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com