Lot 478
Pale Celadon Jade Figure of the Medicine Buddha, Qing Dynasty, Qianlong Period (1736-1795)
Lot 478 Details
Pale Celadon Jade Figure of the Medicine Buddha, Qing Dynasty, Qianlong Period (1736-1795)
Depicting a rare form of the Esoteric Bodhisattva, the right hand holding a begging bowl the left with a rosary head at the knees (the reverse mudra of the Bhaisyajaguru - the Medicine Buddha)
height 3.9" — 10 cm.
Estimate $3,000-$4,000
Note:
For a similar depiction of the mudra showcased by the present example, see a very early painting from the Vairocana cycle paintings in the Dukhang, Tabo monastery (Northern India) illustrated in Rhie and Thurman’s Wisdom and Compassion, pg 43 and dated to 11th century. This figure is possibly related to the hardstone Buddha images carved for the Yuhuage (Pavilion of Raining Flowers), built for the exclusive use of the Qianlong Emperor in 1750, the only Tibetan style temple of 34 chapels in the Forbidden City. The Imperial connection is further identified by the unusual tall hairstyle of the figure, which is only seen in a very small group of 18th century Palace Buddha images such as those found in Christie’s Hong Kong, ‘Imperial Devotions’, October 28, 2002 lot 25.