A Dehua seated Guanyin, China, Qing dynasty, 19th century. Estimate 12,000 — 15,000 USD. Photo: Sotheby's

shown seated in dhyanasana atop a large lotus blossom with overlapping petals, rising from swirling waves with further lotus stems bearing buds and large curling leaves, all supported on a hexagonal stepped base, the left hand holding an alms bowl, the right hand in vitarkamudra, the back impressed with a double-gourd seal reading Fujian Dehua, and a square seal reading Da Ming Wanli nian zhi. Height 17 1/4  in., 43.8 cm

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, New York, 15 sept. 2015