A FINE MONGOLIAN ZANABAZAR SCHOOL GILT BRONZE SCULPTURE OF AMITAYUS

18TH CENTURY

The deity is finely cast seated in vajrasana on a double-lotus base, with a tranquil expression and downcast eyes, richly bedecked with elaborate beaded jewellery including floral earnings and a foliate tiara, with his hands resting in his lap in dhyani mudra supporting a kalasha containing the elixir of immortality, his dhoti loosely gathered around his legs, with a sealed base inscribed with a double visvavajra, 4.5kg, 26.7cm.

Provenance: acquired in Hong Kong in the early 2000s.

Zanabazar (1635-1724) was the first Bogdo Gegen, a religious and secular ruler of Mongolia and the third hierarchy of Tibetan Buddhism after the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama. Zanabazar was also a renowned sculptor who created the Mongolian school of Buddhist bronze sculpture. His sculptures, the majority of which are in the collection of the Zanabazar museum in Ulan-Bator, are characterised by their perfect proportions, spiritual quality and a masterful use of cold and hot gilding techniques. During the 18th century the Zanabazar school continued to create fine cast gilt sculptures in the style of the famous master.