A finely cast Tibeto-Chinese gilt copper alloy figure of the bodhisattva Maitreya mark and period of Yongle, 1403-1424

seated in vajraparyankasana with hands in dharmachakra mudra holding the stems of lotus flowers, both now bent in towards the face, with the chilug, the emblem of the Buddha of the Future, supported by the blossom at his right shoulder, wearing bodhisattva jewelry including sumptuous crown, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, armbands, a jeweled girdle and anklets, with the reign mark of the emperor Yongle engraved on the upper surface of the elegant lotus pedestal

Doris Wiener, acquired 1971

The very fine and crisply cast gilt-bronze with accretion overall and wear to the gilding on high points such as the heel of the proper right foot, the raised folds of cloth over the lower legs, some fingers of the proper left hand and the tips of some fingers of the right, the very tip of the nose, some jewelry elements throughout and the lotus petals and beading of the pedestal, with more extensive rubbing of the gilding on the back from handling over the centuries. Both lotus flowers at the shoulders now bent in towards the face with some resulting cracks to the leaf and flower stems. The crown element directly above the proper left ear now cracked and bent, but intact. Traces of ritually applied gold paint remaining in the ear, and on the neck above the necklace. Minor dents to the jeweled hair finial, and to the hair adjacent. With original sealing plate beneath now reattached.
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The very fine sculpture of Maitreya embodies the sophisticated nuances of expression in the Buddhist imagery created in the workshops of the Yongle emperor. Here the face of Maitreya is imbued with the compassion that is the essential quality of the bodhisattva, with his downward gaze and gentle smile. Serenity and poise are tangible. While all Yongle bronzes are impeccably made, this Maitreya displays a particular finesse and mastery of detail. Only one such Yongle Maitreya is recorded by von Schroeder in his survey of the holdings of Tibetan monastery collections, see Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Hong Kong, 2001, p. 1251, pl. 343F.  For another Yongle bronze, formerly in the Benjamin J. Stein Collection, with the flower that would have supported the identifying attribute now missing, but probably representing Maitreya, see Ulrich von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1981, p. 523, pl. 147E. For an early fifteenth century Chinese cloisonn¿ ritual chilug, of identical shape to the diminutive emblem seen in the present sculpture, see W. Zwalf, ed., Buddhism, Art and Faith, London, 1985, p. 208, no. 301.