A GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF AMITABHA MING DYNASTY, 16TH / 17TH CENTURY |

seated in a meditative pose, in vajraparyankasana and the hands in dhyana mudra, the face with gentle features set in a serene expression, framed by pendulous ears and tight curls surmounted by the ushnisha, wearing long, flowing robes draping over the arms and shoulders revealing the chest incised with a wan symbol, a ribbon-tied dhoti with floral-chased borders and hem gathered in neat folds around the waist and legs, the underside inscribed wangwenli haoshi zao, wood stand (2)

The Chang Foundation Collection.

Jintongfo zaoxiang tulu/Buddhist Images in Gilt Metal, Taipei, 1993, pl. 10.

The wan symbol, or swastika, inscribed on the figure's chest has obscure origins, however before its Buddhist association, it was first associated with the god Vishnu, appearing as an auspicious emblem on his chest, as a representation of his cakra. Compare the present figure with another gilt-bronze with similar casting of the head, features, and garments but with a different mudra, attributed to the Ming dynasty and now in the Tianjin Antique and Curiosity Company Collection, illustrated in Jintong foxiang/Gilt Bronze Buddhist Sculptures, Beijing, 1998, pl. 18.