Lot 743. A rare large gilt-bronze figure of a boddhisatva, Tang dynasty (AD 618-907); 8 5⁄8 in. (21.2 cm.) high. Estimate USD 50,000 – USD 70,000. Price realised USD 296,100. © Christie's 2022

Cast standing on top of a circular base, the bodhisattva is shown with right arm raised and left arm extending down and holding a long-necked bottle. The figure is clothed in diaphanous robes knotted below the navel and bedecked with chains, originally inset with jewels. A tab for attaching the mandorla protrudes from the upper back.

Provenance: Kaikodo, New York, 1996.

Literature: Kaikodo Journal, New York, Spring 1996, no. 61.

Exhibited: New York, Kaikodo, 1996.

Note: The present figure is a superb example of Tang dynasty sculpture with its fine, sculptural details and the masterful casting of the luxurious drapery, and elaborate jewelry. A related gilt-bronze figure dated to the Tang dynasty which has similar posture, robes, and jewelry as the present figure is in the Sano Art Museum, and is illustrated in Saburo Matsubara, Chugoku Bukkyo Chokoku Shiron, Tokyo, 1995, vol. III, p. 704 (Fig. 1), where several other related figures are illustrated pp. 699, 702 and 768.