Lot 315. A gilt-bronze figure of Maitreya, Ming dynasty, 16th century. Height 8 7/8 in., 22.6 cm. Estimate USD 30,000 — 50,000. Lot sold 187,500 USD. Courtesy Sotheby's.
the corpulent jovial figure cast seated and at ease, holding a small attribute in the proper left hand, the rotund belly protruding from a loosely draped robe with chased lotus meander borders secured at the waist with a tasseled belt, raised on a rounded cushion, supported on a floral scroll-decorated domed base, the reverse bearing a Tibetan inscription.
Provenance: The Chang Foundation Collection.
Literature: Jintongfo zaoxiang tulu/Buddhist Images in Gilt Metal, Taipei, 1993, pl. 24.
Sotheby's. Bodies of Infinite Light Featuring an Important Collection of Buddhist Figures Formerly in the Collection of the Chang Foundation, New York, 10 Sep 2019.