CHINE DYNASTIE MING, XVIe SIÈCLE Lot n° 73

= Rare gilded bronze statue of Shakyamuni Buddha seated in vajrasana on a double lotiform base with imposing petals, hands in dhyanamudra, wearing a monastic robe covering both shoulders with edges finely chased with floral scrolls, bare torso with swastika motif. The hair is crowned around the head with delicate curls. The face is animated by a moustache and small beard with fine curls. Unsealed base. H. 20 cm NOTE This exceptional gilded bronze statue of the meditating Buddha Shakyamuni, dating from the 16th century, presents a rare and singular iconography at the confluence of the Yuan and Ming artistic traditions. It blends the iconographic and technical heritage of the Yuan dynasty (1279 - 1368) with the stylistic innovations of the Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644). An extremely similar piece, of the same size and probably from the same workshop, is held in the Chang Foundation collections and illustrated in "Buddhist Images in Gilt Metal" Taipei, 1993, pl. 5. It is also a representation of Shakyamuni, but the Buddha is shown in bhumiparshamudra ("taking the Earth as witness"). The Yuan period saw major artistic and cultural changes, breaking with the scholarly tradition of the Song dynasty. In the field of Buddhist statuary, Himalayan, and particularly Tibetan, influence became omnipresent. Indeed, the new dynasty favored Vajrayana Buddhism by granting control over all Buddhists to the head of the Sakyapa lineage, one of the four great Tibetan schools. The use of gilded bronze became widespread in the production of Buddhist images, as did the use of the double lotiform base. These elements, introduced in the Yuan period and of Tibetan inspiration, are found in the present piece, where the historical Buddha is depicted seated in vajrasana on an imposing double lotiform base whose petals are highly stylized. It's also interesting to note that our piece borrows a number of physical characteristics from Yuan dynasty models, notably the treatment of the beard in fine curls and the hair composed of loose locks forming a crown around the skull. These features can be compared with the gilded bronze statue of the Bhadra arhat in the Musée National des Arts Asiatiques Guimet (MG 9729), dated to the 14th century. After less than a century of existence, the Yuan dynasty disappeared in favor of the Ming dynasty, of Han origin. The early years of Ming Buddhist statuary were marked by a slow stylistic evolution and the continuation of Himalayan models. The 16th century marked a real artistic break with the emergence of styles and iconographies that would endure until the advent of the Qing in 1644 and the return of Tibetan Buddhism to center stage. These stylistic choices were part of the dynasty's desire to return to a Chinese classicism, both political and cultural, continuing the models initiated in particular under the Song dynasty. Thus, from an iconographic point of view, we note a change in clothing, moving away from the simple monastic robe covering one shoulder, an iconography derived from Lamaistic models. The Buddha now wears a robe (uttarasanga), a cloak covering both shoulders (sanghati), and a skirt tied high over the torso (antaravasaka). Similarly, the fine incised scrollwork on the hem of the garment and the auspicious mark on the torso (swastika) are recurrent iconographic features of the second half of the Ming dynasty. Finally, the richness of the gilding and the excellent quality of the casting are typical of the mid-Ming dynasty, where attention to detail and modeling give real presence to the figure of the Buddha. CONDITION Unsealed, wear to the gilt, age-consistent wear, light oxidations, a small missing part to one hairlock