Lot 1349. A rare Dehua figure of Buddha, Late Ming-Transitional period, circa 1640-1660; 10 ¾ in. (27.3 cm.) high. Estimate USD 40,000 - USD 60,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2018.

The heavily potted figure is shown seated in dhyanasana on a double-lotus base and wears a robe that is partially draped over the shoulders and upper arms framing the broad, bare chest above the dhoti that is gathered above the waist before fanning out over the legs. The face has a calm, peaceful expression and a small urna below the hair that is dressed in tight curls that surround the ushnisha. The figure is covered with a glaze of creamy, ivory color.

Provenance: Private collection, South America.
The Chinese Porcelain Company, New York.

Literature: The Chinese Porcelain Company, 17th and 18th Century Chinese Porcelains from Distinguished Private Collections, New York, 2000, pp. 14-15, no. 3. 
The Chinese Porcelain Company, A Dealer's Record 1985-2000, New York, p. 92. 
J. Ayers, Blanc de Chine, Divine Images in Porcelain, New York, 2002, p. 81, no. 32.

Exhibited: New York, The Chinese Porcelain Company, 17th and 18th Century Chinese Porcelains from Distinguished Private Collections, 12 - 28 October 2000. 
New York, China Institute, Blanc de Chine, Divine Images in Porcelain, 19 September - 7 December 2002. 

Note: This rare figure belongs to a group of Dehua figures of Buddha that have been dated to the last years of the Ming dynasty, circa 1640. The figures share similar characteristics including a small head, a flat expanse of bare chest, unusually broad in the present figure, and the depiction of the lotus petals on the base. These features can be seen in a similar Dehua figure of Buddha, dated circa 1640, illustrated in the exhibition catalogue, Blanc de Chine, S. Marchant & Son, London, June 1994, no. 4. The figure is also shown in dhyanasana on a double lotus base, and the dhoti is gathered and tucked in a fashion almost identical to that of the present figure.