A Painted Wood Figure of Avalokitesvara China, Yuan Dynasty

the deity seated in rajalilasana, elegantly positioned with the right arm draped delicately over the raised right knee, the left arm by her side to support her weight, adorned with a simple necklace below the clavicle connecting the thin shawl wrapped around the shoulder, the fabric continuing diagonally across the torso and around the navel, one end held in place under the left hand, the legs wrapped in a dhoti gathered at the waist with the hem flowing outward in a petalous fashion, the elongated face with shallow cheeks and bud lips, her downcast bow-shaped eyes flanking the straight nose, the finely combed hair parted at the center and swept up in a high chignon secured by an openwork crown set with the Amitabha Buddha in dhyanasana against a mandorla, with ample traces of gesso and polychrome pigment

C. T. Loo, 1961.
Collection of Dr. Paul Makler.

The figure is in fairly good condition with expected cracks to the areas where the different segments of wood were attached to form the Guanyin: there is one crack running horizontally through the proper left thigh to the proper left foot; another crack running through the apron of the proper left thigh. Contrary to earlier opinions by Sotheby's specialists, the proper left hand appears to be original but may have been restuck. The proper right toes are likely original due to their similarities in the toenails on the left toes, but it is possible the remaining part of the right foot is later. The main Amitabha Buddha on the crown is carved from the same wood as the head, but the tiara is fragmentary as it would have extended further to the sides. There is no evidence of recent restoration (i.e. post-1960s, after C.T. Loo sale), save for restabilization to the neck (possibly severed as the braids show repairs in mid-segment), and for the reattached bottom of the hanging scarf at the torso. There has also been no evidence of an attempt to repair or replace the ornamentation to the hair. The different layers of yellow lacquer and gilding are consistent throughout the figure, with very minor flaking down to the wood in some areas. Any restoration work since the figure was created have been re-layering, and not recarving.
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.

It is likely that the iconography of the present figure, resembling a noble lady serenely reclined, is derived from the picture of the Water-Moon Guanyin created by the Tang painter Zhou Fang, and later made popular among sculpture during the Song period; a comprehensive discussion of this subject is found in Howard, Song, Hung and Hong, Chinese Sculpture, New Haven, 2006, p. 388. It has also been suggested that this pose originates from an episode in the 'Flower Garland' or Avatamsaka Sutra (Ch. Huayan) in which its protagonist, the youth Sudhana, in his search for true wisdom, seeks Avalokitesvara on his island residence on Mount Potalaka (Ch. Budaluojia), where the divine Compassionate One appears, in 'royal ease' within a grotto, and debates with Sudhana. Note the discussion on the origins of the variant 'royal ease' posture depicted here, which became popular along with the spread of the Avatamsaka Sutra in China from the 10th century, in Derek Gillman, 'A New Image in Chinese Buddhist Sculpture of the Tenth to Thirteenth Century', Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, 1982-83, Vol. 47, London, 1983, pp. 32-44.

Avalokitesvara sculptures in this style were considered the apogee of Song dynasty sculpture. Though the present work is from the Yuan dynasty, it shares many similarities with figures from the earlier period. The rajalilasana posture remained virtually unaltered, as did the stylized rendering of the garments and hair. One noticeable feature setting this Yuan sculpture apart from the earlier period can be found in the shallow, long face. Song examples are recognized for their fleshy, cherub-like cheeks; see one belonging in The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, illustrated in Hai-Wai Yi-Chen, Chinese Art in Overseas Collections: Buddhist Sculpture I, Taipei, 1986, pl. 132; and another in The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, illustrated in Howard, Song, Hung and Hong, Chinese Sculpture, New Haven, 2006, pl. 4.27.

A similar polychrome wood Avalokitesvara attributed to the Jin / Yuan dynasty with much of the pigment still intact, thus providing a rare glimpse of how the present work might have been painted, from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. F. Brodie Lodge, was sold in our London rooms, 7th June 1988, lot 48.