Lot 615. A gilt-bronze figure of Green Tara, Late Ming dynasty; 17.5cm high. Sold for HK$ 37,500 (€ 4,491). © Bonhams.

Modelled seated in lalitasana atop a double-lotus pedestal with beaded rims, the serene face with hair in tight curls under the ushnisha and a jewelled Buddist tiara, the raised left hand in vitarka mudra and the lowered right hand in varada mudra, with a lotus stem rising from the left shoulder.

Note: Tara is one of the most popular meditational deities in Tibet. There are varying versions of her origin, one popular folklore recounts that she was a spiritual women whose dedication to Buddhism was demonstrated through daily offerings and prayers for a thousand billion years. The local monks responded to her great merits by offering to pray for her rebirth as a man to further spread her teachings. However, she declined and theorized that there was no distinction between the two genders and that nothing existed in reality..

Bonhams. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 24 Nov 2012, Hong Kong, Admiralty