Lot 88. A rare gilt-copper alloy figure of Manjusri, Tibet, 15th century; 18.5cm (7 2/8in) high. Estimate £ 5,000-7,000. Sold for £ 31,250 (€ 35,761). © Bonhams.

The figure cast seated in dhyanasana on a double-lotus base, the arms in dharamcakra mudra, holding two stalks of uptala lotus and wearing a graceful dhoti and a shawl on the shoulders, adorned with various jewellery, the face with a benevolent expression and hair arranged in a high chignon surrounded by a five-leaf tiara, 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, p.109, pl.6 (the catalogue is offered as part of the lot).

Note: The modeling is directly inspired by early fifteenth century Chinese bronzes of the Yongle period that were known to Tibetan artists through the numerous donations from the Imperial court to Tibetan monasteries. The treatment of the robes that fall in loose folds over the legs, the lotuses at the shoulders, and the fine elongated lotus petals of the pedestal, are all inspired by these early Ming masterpieces. The use of turquoise to embellish the heavier jewellery, on the other hand, denotes the Tibetan taste. Compare with a Tibetan fifteenth century Vajradhara now in the Palace Museum, Beijing, see Cultural Relics of Tibetan Buddhism Collected in the Qing Palace, Beijing, 1992, p.86, pl.58. Also compare the crown type and treatment of the lotus base with a Vajradhara illustrated in U. von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures Tibet and China, Hong Kong, 1981, no.119F p.443.

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART, London, 12 November 2015