Lot 75. A gilt-copper figure of Padmasambhava, Tibet, 17th-18th century; 24.5cm (9 5/8in) high. Estimate £ 10,000-12,000. Sold for £ 21,250 (€ 24,317). © Bonhams.

The figure seated in lotus position, his right hand holding a vajra, the left holding a skull cup, wearing heavy inner and outer robes finely incised with floral designs and falling into graceful pleats around the legs, the face with a serene expression, flanked by pendulous ears adorned with loop earrings, the head surmounted by a five-petal lotus hat topped with a feather, the base sealed and incised with a double vajra.

Provenance: the Jeannette Claude Jongen collection of Buddhist Art.

Published and Illustrated: A.Neven, Etudes D'Art Lamaique et de L'Himalaya, Brussels, 1978, pp.122-123, pl.32 (the catalogue is offered as part of the lot).

Note: Masterfully cast with a plump expressive face, Padmasambhava is shown in conventional aspect wearing the heavy patchwork robes typical of a monk and distinctive hat topped by a feather. His right hand holding a thunderbolt, the left hand holding the skull cup filled with nectar or jewels, now missing. Compare the treatment of the robes with another in D.Dinwiddie, ed., Portraits of the Masters: Bronze Sculptures of the Tibetan Buddhist Lineages, Chicago and London, 2003, no.12, pp.110-111.

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART, London, 12 November 2015