A GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF AVALOKITESVARA TANG DYNASTY

cast seated in lalitasana, the right arm bent upward and holding a lotus flower, the left hand resting upon the knee, below a mandorla set with a Buddha in dhyanasana, all supported on a domed base raised on a four-legged plinth, wood stand and Japanese wood box; together with a gilt-bronze figure of a bodhisattva, Sui dynasty, wood stand and Japanese wood box

The figure of Avalokitesvara is in good condition with the exception of some nibbles to the base of the back left leg of the stand and overall scratches and loss to the gilded decoration; the bodhisattva figure is in good condition except for wear to the gilded decoration.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Compare similar bronze sculptures of the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara seated in lalitasana, such as one sold in these rooms, 15^th March 1973, lot 469; two larger examples illustrated in Saburo Matsubara, Chūgoku bukkyō chōkokushi ron [Historical discussion of Chinese Buddhist sculpture], Tokyo, 1995, vol. 3, pl. 877, nos a and b; another sold in these rooms, 9^th June 1987, lot 21; and a further example sold in our New York rooms, 18^th March 2008, lot 218. See also a smaller figure of this type included in the exhibition Buddhistische Plastik aus Japan und China, Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Cologne, 1972, pl. 100, no. 2.