Western Jin Dynasty, circa 300 AD. A majestic gilded bronze standing Bodhisattva Maitreya figure with Gandharan influence; the substantial statue wearing royal costume with right hand in the open palm fear-not gesture, holding a bottle in the open left hand suspended between the fingers; standing on a disc base; the hair striated and piled upon the head, tied in a top-knot; the front cover piece from the catalogue 'Out of Uddiyana' An exhibition at Tibet House, New York, in 2010. See Fujii Saiseikai Yurinkan Collection, Kyoto, Japan, 141G, for the only other recorded example of very similar size and almost identical form; see Howard, A.F., Chinese Sculpture, Rhie, Marilyn Martin, Enclyclopedia of Buddhism: China, Buddhist Art, and Watson, W., The Arts of China to AD 900, for discussion on the Yurinkan example; also accompanied by an eight-page document describing and illustrating both this and the Yurinkan piece.3.5 kg, 34.5cm (13 1/2"). Acquired for the ‘Buckingham Collection’ by the late Nik Douglas (1944-2012), renowned author, curator and Asian art expert; the collection formed from the early 1960s to early 1970s; displayed at the major exhibition ‘The Buddha Image: Out of Uddiyana’, Tibet House, 22 West 15th Street, New York, 16 September-20 October 2010, extended to 16 November and again to 7 January 2011; where the collection of one hundred pieces was publicly valued at US$ 15M; this piece was scheduled to be included in an exhibition titled ‘On the Silk Route; Birth of The Buddha’, to be held in London from November 2012, but sadly his death prevented this; accompanied by Nik Douglas's collection cataloguing pages which include pre cleaning photographs; and a copy of the relevant ‘Out of Uddiyana’ exhibition catalogue pages including the front cover which featured this lot, and an image of this piece in a display case which took pride of place at the exhibition; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no. 10428-170981. [A video of this lot is available to view on TimeLine Auctions website.]