Lot 312. A large gilt-lacquer bronze figure of Avalokiteshvara, Ming dynasty, 15th-16th century. Height 14 3/4  in., 37.4 cm. Estimate USD 50,000 — 70,000. Lot sold 325,000 USD. Courtesy Sotheby's.

seated in vajraparyankasana, with the hands in abhaya and varada mudra, the shoulders flanked by a bird and a chilug ewer borne on blossoming lotuses from vines stemming from the hands, a small Amitabha figure enclosed within the elaborate, pierced crown, the ears and body heavily adorned with ornaments and jewels, all supported by a double-lotus base with pendent sashes.

Provenance: The Chang Foundation Collection.

Literature: Jintongfo zaoxiang tulu/Buddhist Images in Gilt Metal, Taipei, 1993, pl. 32.