A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF MANJUSRI YUAN DYNASTY

depicted seated in vajraparyankasana on a double-lotus pedestal with beaded edges, the arms raised in dharamcakramudra to the chest, holding two lotus stems with the blooms undulating up the shoulders, supporting the bodhisattva's emblems the khadga (sword) and pustaka (manuscript), depicted with a slightly tilted head with a serene and beneveloent expression, the figure elaborately adorned with ornamental jewellery inlaid with semi-precious stones including turquoise and carnelian at the open chest, arms and yajnopavita 

General surface wear and oxidisation to the surface. The point where the sword joins the right shoulder appears to have been consolidated, Several replaced hardstone inlays.
"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."

Prints from woodblocks of the Qisha Tripitaka carved in Jiangsu province and dated 1301 include illustrations that dramatically reflect the Nepalese influence on the art of the period, see Wladimir Zwalf, ed, Buddhism: Art and Faith, British Museum, 1985, p. 211, cat. no. 306. If it was not for the Chinese text and colophon notations, some of the illustrations could be taken for contemporaneous Nepalese or Tibeto-Nepalese workmanship. These illustrations, together with a gilt-bronze figure of Manjusri with an inscribed date of 1305 from the Qing Court Collection, preserved in the Palace Musem, Beijing (fig. 1) and the 1342-1345 sculpture at Juyong guan confirm the Nepalese influence on Yuan period art such as this small gilt bronze figure of Manjusri.

From the outset the young Newar artist Anige (1244-1306) had attracted the praise of Khublai Khan, having been introduced by the powerful Tibetan Sakya hierarch Phagspa in 1262. By 1273 Anige was appointed Director of All Artisan Classes and then Controller of Imperial Workshops in 1278. Anige's prowess and the skill of his team had immense impact on the visual arts of the period, and the subsequent early Ming period sculpture bears their legacy.

The present Manjusri resembles the 1305 Qing Court example with similar lower garment stretched tight over the legs with a wide beaded hem, comparable stone-inset earrings and jewellery, the low five-leaf crown with fluttering upturned ties, see The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Buddhist Statues of Tibet, Hong Kong, 1995, p. 220, pl. 209. For another Yuan period Manjusri with similar robes, adornments and lotus pedestal, see Robert R. Bigler, Before Yongle, Zurich, 2015, p. 109, cat. no. 25.