A small gilt-bronze figure of a bodhisattva China, Tang dynasty, 8th Century

finely cast, standing upon a circular base with right knee faintly bent and body twisting in elegant tribhanga, dressed in long skirts and draping scarves knotted intricately over the belly while leaving the torso bare, the right hand pendant and grasping the long stems of lotus-bud and leaf, and the left hand bent up to support a flaming disc-like jewel, the face serene and the spiraling topknot adorned with foliate panel enclosing a jewel

There is expected wear to the gilding including on the face, lotus leaf, left arm, hair and part of the dhoti. There is a repaired tiny crack to the right scarf near the hip. The figure, slightly more yellow than depicted in the catalogue image, is in otherwise good overall condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Although some amendment is likely to have occurred to the supporting plinth, the casting quality of the figure is characteristic of the 'International Style' of the High Tang period, the pinnacle of sculptural quality, as exemplified by works in sandstone in the Tianlongshan Caves, or in marble and limestone in the Xi'an cosmopolitan area during the eighth and ninth centuries. This style typically combines a certain voluptuousness and confident physicality in the figures and ample sinuous detailing or convincing weight to the drapery, and it is notable that these features translate equally well from the larger works in stone to the portable votive images in bronze. Compare a seated figure with very similar facial features and hair adornment, illustrated in Saburo Matsubara, Chinese Buddhist Sculpture, Tokyo, 1966, pl. 269(a) and a standing figure with pronounced body-bend, pl. 297(a).