A SANDSTONE FIGURE OF GUANYIN SONG – LIAO DYNASTY |

depicted seated in lalitasana with the head gently lowered and the right hand resting over the bent knee, all atop a base with rounded edges, the bodhisattva rendered dressed in loose clothing cascading in voluminous folds and adorned with ornamental jewellery, the lowered head accentuated with a serene expression, framed by a pair of long pendulous earlobes and a headdress carved with a central ruyi motif, traces of pigments and gilding, wood stand 

Collection of Suma Yakichirou (1892-1970), by repute.

As visible in the catalogue photo there are typical bruises and losses, including the right foot. The pigments are unusually well preserved. There is an inscribed black mark on the reverse.
"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."

This piece depicts the bodhisattva of Wisdom and Compassion in the majestic posture known as ‘royal ease’, rajalilasana. Adorned by opulent jewellery and long flowing robes, the figure’s features exude a sense of warmth and serenity. This reclining pose is often associated to the iconography of the ‘Water-Moon Guanyin’, which derived from an episode the Avatamsaka Huayin sutra, in which its protagonist, the youth Sudhana, in his search for true wisdom, seeks Avalokiteshvara on his island residence on Mount Potalaka (Budaluojia), where the divine Compassionate One appears in ‘royal ease’ within a grotto to debate with Sudhana. The origin and development of this pose and its variants are discussed in Derek Gillman, ‘A New Image in Chinese Buddhist Sculpture of the Tenth to Thirteenth Century’, Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, 1982-83, vol. 47, pp. 32-44.