A BRONZE FIGURE OF AKSHOBHYA, CHINA, 15TH CENTURY
Finely cast seated in dhyanasana on a double-lotus base with finely beaded edges, his right hand lowered in bhumisparsha mudra, his left held above his lap. Akshobhya is dressed in voluminous robes and richly adorned with elaborate jewelry. His serene face with heavy-lidded downcast eyes and bow-shaped lips forming a calm smile. His hair arranged in tight curls over the high ushnisha topped by a jewel behind the foliate tiara.


Provenance:
From an old private estate in Vienna, Austria. The grandparents of the last owner are said to have acquired the piece in the Austrian trade, shortly after the Second World War.

Condition:
Excellent condition with expected old wear and minor casting irregularities, small dents and losses, minuscule nicks, light scratches. The seal plate lost. The face, crown, some folds and the backside with distinct remnants of gilt.

Weight: 2,060 g
Dimensions: Height 23.6 cm


Bhumisparsha mudra
(the 'earth witness' gesture) is reserved for images of Buddha Shakyamuni and the Dhyani Buddha, Akshobhya. As Shakyamuni is traditionally depicted as an unadorned ascetic, the presence of the crown on this figure identifies him as Akshobhya. The latter is a concept of Tibetan-style Vajrayana Buddhism, which was introduced to China during the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368).


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s Paris, 11 December 2020, lot 29
Price: EUR 50,400 or approx.
EUR 60,000
adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A finely cast large bronze figure of Bodhisattva, Ming Dynasty, 15th century
Expert remark: Note the size of 29 cm and the closely related manner of casting, quality of the jewelry, crown, incision work around the lotus base, and the lack of any remnants of gilding.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 16 March 2015, lot 3200
Price: USD 23,750 or approx.
EUR 28,500
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare bronze figure of Akshobhya, Ming dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related pose, expression, base, and crown. Note the larger size (35.6 cm) and arguably lower quality especially when compared with the fine detail work on the present lot, mostly around the crown, the lotus base and the jewelry, as well as the complete lack of any gilding.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby’s Paris, 20 June 2021, lot 1
Price: EUR 35,280 or approx.
EUR 39,000
adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A bronze figure of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva Ming dynasty, 16th century
Expert remark: Note the larger size (31 cm), and the arguably lower quality specifically when compared with the fine detail work on the present lot, mostly around the crown, the lotus base and the jewelry, and the complete lack of any gilding, all as expected for a 16th century piece.




十五世紀阿閦佛坐蓮銅像

阿閦佛全跏趺坐坐於蓮座上，結螺髻，髮髻頂部飾寶珠，戴五葉寶冠，佩大耳鐺。身著袒右袈裟，光素面，雕自然起伏的褶皺。左手結禪定印，右手結觸地印。


來源：
奧地利私人舊藏。據說最後一位主人的祖父母是在第二次世界大戰後不久在奧地利購得這件拍品。

品相：
狀況良好，有磨損和輕微鑄造缺陷、小凹痕和缺損、微小刻痕、輕微劃痕。密封板丟失。背面有明顯的鎏金痕跡。

重量：2,060 克
尺寸：高 23.6 釐米


觸地印
是釋迦牟尼佛和阿閦佛的特有手勢。釋迦牟尼曾在菩提樹下悟道，這個造像上的王冠的存在表明他是阿閦佛。在漢傳佛教、藏傳佛教與密宗信仰中，阿閦佛是金剛界五智如來（五方佛）中的東方如來，代表“大圓鏡智”，於元代（1279-1368）傳入中國。此佛為左手執拳或持金剛杵安於臍前，右手下垂觸地，成觸地印。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：非常相近
拍賣：巴黎蘇富比，2020年12月11日，lot 29
價格：EUR 50,400（相當於今日
EUR 60,000
）
描述：明十五世紀銅菩蕯坐像
專家評論：請注意尺寸(29 釐米) ，非常相近的鑄造風格、珠寶品質、王冠、雕刻和蓮座，以及沒有任何鍍金殘留。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2015年3月16日，lot 3200
價格：USD 23,750（相當於今日
EUR 28,500
）
描述：明銅阿閦佛坐像
專家評論：比較非常相近的姿勢、表情、底座和王冠。請注意尺寸較大 (35.6 釐米)，並且質量可以說較低，特別是與我們拍品的精美細節相比，主要是在皇冠，蓮花底座和珠寶周圍，並且完全沒有任何鍍金。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：巴黎蘇富比，2021年6月20日，lot 1
價格：EUR 35,280（相當於今日
EUR 39,000
）
描述：明十六世紀銅觀世音菩薩坐像
專家評論：請注意尺寸較大 (31 釐米)，與我們拍品的精美細節相比，質量可以說較低，主要是在王冠、蓮花底座和珠寶周圍，並且完全沒有任何鍍金，所有這些特徵都符合 16 世紀作品的預期。