AN EXCEPTIONAL LARGE WHITE JADE FIGURE OF AMITAYUS QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

intricately worked, smoothed and polished in the form of Amitayus seated in dhyanasana with hands held together in dhyanamudra, rendered with a serene face bearing a meditative and compassionate expression, framed by a five-leaf diadem and a pair of long pendulous earlobes, depicted with tresses of hair falling on both shoulders and arms, the arms elegantly flanked by billowing sashes, above a voluminous lower garment gathering at the base of the figure, exquisitely adorned with elaborate jewellery including hoop earrings, necklaces and bracelets, the diadem and necklaces inset with semi-precious stones, the stone of a pale celadon-white colour mottled with white inclusions and russet streaks to the base, the original zitan stand carved as a double lotus base with two layers of overlapping lotus petals, enclosed within two beaded borders at the top and bottom, the patina of a lustrous reddish-brown colour

The figure is in overall good condition with small nicks to the extremities as can be expected, including the edges of the shawl, hem and diadem. There are two small chips, each measuring approx. 1.5 cm, to the right leaf of the diadem and the hem of the garment. An area measuring approx. 2.5 cm. may have been polished to conceal earlier nicks to the hem of the garment. There are also missing semi-precious stones that were previously inset.
"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."

Amitayus, known as the Buddha of Infinite Life, was among the most popular deities from the Tibetan Buddhist pantheon in the 18th century, particularly in the Qianlong period. Emblematic of longevity, large numbers of figures were commissioned in gilt-bronze and porcelain by the Qianlong Emperor for the occasion of the Empress Dowager's 60th and 70th birthdays. Examples in jade and other hardstone are much rarer.

For a smaller (7.7 cm) white jade figure of Amitayus in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, see Monarchy and its Buddhist Way, Tibetan-Buddhist Ritual Implements in the National Palace Museum, National Palace Museum, 1999, no. 29. Compare also a jade figure of crowned Amitayus on a champleve-enamelled double lotus base, offered at Christie's Hong Kong, 28th October 2002, lot 866, and examples in turquoise and lapis lazuli, offered in the same sale, lots 858 and 867. For a slightly larger (23.5 cm) white jade Buddhist figure sold at auction, see the example from the Stephen Junkunc III collection, sold at Christie's New York, 26th March 2010, lot 1104.

For an early prototype example of a Buddhist sculpture worked from jade, see a 13th / 14th century jade figure of Phagspa in the collection of the Potala Palace, Lhasa, illustrated in Tibet. Treasures from the Roof of the World, Taipei, 2010, p. 168, pl. 75 (fig.1). Like the current example, the Potala Palace figure is clearly worked in sections from iconographical manuals, like a thangka.