A VERY RARE DATED GILT-BRONZE BUDDHIST VOTIVE SHRINE CHINA, EASTERN WEI DYNASTY, DATED XINGHE 2ND YEAR, CORRESPONDING TO 540 AD

cast as two buddhas seated side by side, with robes cascading over their legs, hands in abhaya- and varadamudras, with petal-shaped mandorlas behind them, the backs each impressed with images of three buddhas, beneath a hipped roof supported by three pillars and surmounted by a small buddha, all supported on a bracketed base with date and dedicatory inscription on two sides

Mahé Gallery, Paris, 1970s / 80s.
French Private Collection.

One front leg has been reattached. The roof appears to have been separately cast and attached. There are some minor chips along the edges, minor corrosion and signs of wear consistent with age.
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.

The inscription indicates that the piece was commissioned by Liu Mei to commemorate his parents from seven past lives, with the hope that the entire family and all sentient beings will eventually attain buddhahood.

The two buddhas depicted are Prabhutaratna and Sakyamuni.  In chapter eleven of the Lotus Sutra, as Sakyamuni Buddha is delivering his sermon, a jeweled stupa rises from the earth and hovers in the air. It opens to reveal Prabhutaratna, the buddha of the past age. Shakyamuni rises into the air and joins him. All those present rejoice and shower the two buddhas with flowers.

This scene is popular in Buddhist art from the Northern Wei into the Tang dynasties. Examples are illustrated in Hugo Munsterberg, Chinese Buddhist Bronzes, Rutland, 1967, pls. 33-35. Other Wei period examples are illustrated in Saburo Matsubara, Chinese Buddhist Sculpture, Tokyo, 1966, pls. 103 (a) and (b).