A GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF SEATED AVALOKITESHVARA TIBET, 11TH – 12TH CENTURY

seated in the vajra position on a double-lotus base, the bodhisattva with the right hand held in varadamudra with a lotus on his palm, the left holding a lotus stalk along the arm to the shoulder, wearing a patterned shawl with finely detailed lozenges draped across the torso, adorned with jewellery including earrings, beaded necklaces, armbands and anklets, the serene expression with a downcast gaze below arched brows, below with a tripartite crown adorned with the figure of Amitabha in the centre, the high jatamukata with tresses falling to the shoulders

Himalayan Art Resources item no. 68436

Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 1996-2005, on loan.
The Sculptural Heritage of Tibet: Buddhist Art in the Nyingjei Lam Collection, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, October-December 1999.
Arte Buddhista Tibetana: Dei e Demoni dell' Himalaya, Palazzo Bricherasio, Turin, June-September 2004.
Rubin Museum of Art, New York, 2005-2017, on loan.
Casting the Divine: Sculptures of the Nyingjei Lam Collection, Rubin Museum of Art, New York, 2012-2013.

David Weldon and Jane Casey Singer, The Sculptural Heritage of Tibet: Buddhist Art in the Nyingjei Lam Collection, London, 1999, fig. 38.
Franco Ricca, Arte Buddhista Tibetana: Dei e Demoni dell' Himalaya, Turin, 2004, fig. 16.

Good overall condition with just general surface wear. As visible in the catalogue photo, there is some loss to the gilding, as typical of early Tibetan gilt-bronze figures.
"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 the tripartite crown, jewellery, posture, tubular limbs, and patterned shawl draped across the torso with illustrations on a ninth century Tibetan book cover depicting Buddhist deities; see Pratapaditya Pal, Himalayas: An Aesthetic Adventure, Chicago, 2003, p. 168, cat. no. 107 and also with illustrations on a Thakuri period manuscript, see Rob Linrothe, Holy Madness: Portraits of Tantric Siddhas, New York, 2006, pp. 184-187, cat. nos 2 and 3a-d.