A LARGE GILT-LACQUERED BRONZE FIGURE OF THE MEDICINE BUDDHA (BHAISAJYAGURU), MING DYNASTY
China, 1368-1644. Finely cast, the Buddha is seated in dhyanasana with his right hand extended in varadamudra while holding a small myrobalan fruit and his left raised above his lap. He wears monastic, loosely draped, and layered robes, belted at the waist and opening at the chest. His serene face with heavy-lidded eyes below elegantly arched brows centered by a circular urna, his full bow-shaped lips forming a calm smile, flanked by long pendulous earlobes. His hair is dressed in tight curls that continue up over the domed ushnisha.


Provenance:
From the collection of Captain Peter Dircks and thence by descent in the same family. Peter Leonardus Dircks (1883-1954) was a naval officer in the Siam Steam Navigation Company. He was posted between the ports of Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, Bangkok, and Jakarta, and during his time with the Company he developed a profound interest and knowledge of Asian antiques and works of art. After years of travel, Dircks arrived in Copenhagen in the late 1920s, eventually settling in the Danish capital. From this time until his death in 1954, he kept collecting permanently.

Condition:
Good condition, commensurate with age. The lacquer coating is ancient and original, with absolutely no restoration whatsoever - something that is exceedingly rare to find. Old wear, signs of weathering and erosion, encrustations, flaking to lacquer, nicks, scratches, minor dents. Figure and stand do not fit 100% perfectly, possibly due to heat influence at some point in time, but definitely belong together originally. The bronze is covered overall in a rich, naturally grown, dark patina and displays exceptionally well.

Weight: 15.1 kg
Dimensions: Height 49.6 cm

The figure is raised on a separately cast lotus base comprised of three tiers of naturalistic petals above an openworked foot of scrolling foliage. (2)


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s London, 3 November 2020, lot 75
Price: GBP 43,750 or approx.
EUR 65,500
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A lacquered gilt-bronze figure of Buddha Shakyamuni, 16th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling as well as the related lacquer gilding, also flaking off in some minor areas. Note the lacking base and the much smaller size (38 cm).


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 24 September 2021, lot 777
Price: USD 250,000 or approx.
EUR 254,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt-lacquered bronze figure of the Medicine Buddha, Ming dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject, modeling with similar pose, robes, expression, hair, and separately cast base, manner of casting, and lacquer-gilding. Note the larger size (71.1 cm).




明代鎏金漆藥師佛銅像

中國，1368-1644年。此尊髮髻高束，面龐豐腴，雙目垂俯，眉間有白毫，相容和熙，頭髮成螺髻。肩胸寬厚，體態飽滿。身著敞胸袈裟，衣緣鏨刻精美的纏枝花卉，折疊曲复，流回自然。左手結禪定印，右手指地結觸地印，跏趺端坐於仰覆蓮台座。


來源：
來自 Peter Dircks 船長的收藏，在同一家族傳承；Peter Leonardus Dircks (1883-1954 年）是暹羅蒸汽航運公司的一名海軍軍官。他曾在北京、上海、新加坡、曼谷和雅加達的港口工作。在公司工作期間，他對亞洲古董和藝術品產生了濃厚的興趣。經過多年的旅行，Dircks於 20 年代末抵達哥本哈根，最終定居在丹麥首都。從那時起直到 1954 年去世為止，他一直在不斷地收藏。

品相：
狀態良好，漆層沒有經過任何修復。磨損、風化和侵蝕跡象、結殼、漆層剝落、刻痕、劃痕、輕微凹痕。造像和底座並非完美契合，但絕對是一套。造像整體上覆蓋著一層自然神色包漿。

重量：15.1 公斤
尺寸：高 49.6 厘米

底座鏤空，飾卷葉紋 (2)


拍賣比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：倫敦佳士得，2020年11月3日，lot 75
價格：GBP 43,750（相當今日
EUR 65,500
）
描述：明十六世紀鎏金銅紅金漆釋迦摩尼佛坐像
專家註釋：比較非常相近模型、相近金漆鎏金，有些地方漆層剝落。請注意 模有底座和尺寸較小 (38 厘米)。


拍賣比較：

形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2021年9月24日，lot 777
價格：USD 250,000（相當今日
EUR 254,000
）
描述：明銅漆金藥師佛坐像
專家註釋：比較非常相近主題、相似的姿勢、長袍、表情、髮型和另外鑄造的底座、鑄造風格，以及金漆鎏金。請注意 尺寸較大 (71.1 厘米)。