A GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF KASHYAPA 16TH / 17TH CENTURY |

the enlightened figure cast standing with the proper left hand grasping the other in front of the chest, wearing a kasaya secured over the shoulder with a ring and cord, the ushnisha clearly visible above the characteristic furrowed and voluminous brows, the cheekbones, neck, and sinuous forearms reflecting the ascetic path, raised on a quatrefoil base above a ring of lotus petals

The Chang Foundation Collection.

Jintongfo zaoxiang tulu/Buddhist Images in Gilt Metal, Taipei, 1993, pl. 69.

In overall good condition with minor expected wear, scattered small areas of oxidation, and pitting. Lacking base plate.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Kashyapa has been depicted from the Northern and Southern dynasties to present day as an old Indian ascetic, with a prominent cranial bump and long, unruly brows. He is identified in early texts as one of the Seven Buddhas of the Past, specifically as the third Buddha of the bhadrakalpa, or present era. Compare a bronze figure of Kashyapa, in the collection of the Tianjin Antique and Curiosity Company, illustrated in Jintong foxiang/Gilt Bronze Buddhist Sculptures, Beijing, 1998, pl. 23, with similarities to the present figure including a closely related quatrefoil base. A Qing dynasty kesi from the collection of Avery Brundage, now preserved in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, obj. no. B60.DI02, executed in the style of the Tang artist Lu Lengjia and dated 1744 by inscription, depicts Kashyapa in a very similar style to the present figure.