An extremely large and rare famille-rose figure of Puxian seated on an elephant, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period

American Private Collection, until 1970s.

This figure of Puxian, depicted with a brilliant and serene facial expression, sitting in lalitasana - the pose of 'royal ease' - upon a ferocious six-tusked elephant, is among the finest examples of Qing porcelain sculpture ever recorded.

Puxian (Samantabhadra in Sanskrit, literally 'Universal Joy') is the primary bodhisattva associated with practical adherence to Buddhist teachings. Discussed in great detail in the Guan Puxian Pusa xingfa jing ('Puxian Meditation Sutra'), an epilogue to the famous Lotus Sutra, Puxian is deified as a paragon of Buddhist practitioners and symbolic of the value of meditation and repentance. As the sutra explains, although Puxian is generally regarded as transcendental and amorphous, he is able to transform himself into a white six-tusked elephant when visiting the Earth. 

A devout Buddhist with close political ties to the lamas of Tibet, the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1735-1795) was a passionate collector of Buddhist icons and frequently ordered the Imperial Workshop to produce new pieces to adorn his palaces in the Forbidden City and beyond. Primarily made of gilt-bronze, these images at their best are among the finest examples of religious iconography ever produced: exceedingly fine in their attention to detail; almost life-like in their carefully rendered expressions and, above all, wondrously grand in their sumptuous adornment.

While many exceptional bronze figures from this period survive, porcelain icons decorated in enamel are incredibly rare, owing to the fragility of the medium and the immense technical challenge of refiring pieces of this size. However, despite all odds, a few of these rare figures have survived and may be categorized into two somewhat distinct stylistic groups:

The most common of these porcelain Buddhist images made at the imperial kilns are those directly imitating gilt-bronze prototypes. Heavily gilded to the face, arms and torso, these figures follow a number of early Ming bronze prototypes made in the Palace Workshops as gifts for prominent Tibetan lamas. Of this group, the majority are adorned with flowing robes, crowns and jewelry enameled in 'robin's egg' and 'café-au-lait' glazes with details highlighted in turquoise, blue and gold. Compare two attendants of this design, each roughly 29 cm tall, sold together at Christie's New York, 24th March 2011, lot 1748; and another from the Malcolm MacDonald Collection, now in the Oriental Museum, University of Durham (accession no. DUROM.1969.358), illustrated in Ireneus Legeza, A Descriptive and Illustrated Catalogue of the Malcolm MacDonald Collection of Chinese Ceramics, London, 1972, cat. no. 384, pl. CXLI.

The second group, to which the present lot belongs as a superlative example, are those adorned in famille-rose enamels. Sometimes gilded, though more often left a peachy tone or white in a conspicuous nod to the much beloved Dehua wares of Fujian province, the subtle almost watery skin of these figures lends them an ineffable radiance while a vivid palette of colorful enamels pays homage to the Tibetan tradition of brightly decorated icons. By far the most common figures of this style are those of the Amitayus with his hands resting on his lap, supporting an overflowing amrita vessel. Though debate continues as to the exact origins of this sub-group, it seems likely that they were made concurrently to celebrate an imperial birthday. See an example said to come from the Imperial Palace exhibited at the Exhibition of Chinese Arts, C. T. Loo & Co., New York, 1941, cat. no. 750, alongside two smaller famille-rose elephants, no. 749; another from the collection of Sir Augustus Wollaston Franks, now in the British Museum (accession no. Franks.582,+); and another sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 29th October 2001, lot 606. Other than Amitayus, several other deities are known to have been depicted in famille-rose enamels including White Tara, Green Tara and Guanyin. 

However, to date, no other porcelain figures of Puxian appear to have ever come to market. Even among smaller bronze figures, Qing imperial images of Puxian are exceedingly rare. Compare a very fine gilt-bronze example sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 7th October 2010, lot 2792. 

Ignoring, for a moment, the rarity of the subject matter, the sheer scale and grandeur of this piece make it a rare treasure in its own right. From the quality of the gilded floral scrolls and wanzi diaper design across the dhoti and scarf to the bright variegated pink hues of the lotus throne, this figure is a testament to the remarkable craftsmanship of Qianlong's workshop. Apparently the largest figure of this type ever to appear at auction, even the mere task of successfully sculpting and firing this figure would have been a herculean effort rarely attempted.

Mention must also be made to the quality of Puxian's mount. Rendered just as well – if not more finely – than its rider, the six-tusked elephant of Puxian is a remarkable piece of sculpture in its own right. Adorned with crisply enameled floral scrolls and the unmistakable imperial symbol of the five-clawed dragon, this grand elephant makes a conspicuous nod to similar Qianlong pieces in cloisonné enamel often used as stands for lamps and vases. Compare, for example, a pair of Qianlong period cloisonné elephants of comparable size ridden by smaller figures of a monk and warrior, sold in our Monaco rooms, 13th February 1983, lot 370.

Well-versed in the complex iconographic canon of Tibetan Buddhism and never one to cut costs, Qianlong often commissioned figures as part of larger groups; as if to bring a thangka or mandala to life in three dimensions. See, for example, a complex 'triptych' layout still preserved on the first floor of the Yuhuage ('Pavilion of Raining Flowers') in the Forbidden City, illustrated in Cultural Relics of Tibetan Buddhism Collected in the Qing Palace, Beijing, 1992, pl. 103. In this iconographic system, figures of Puxian on an elephant were almost always accompanied by their counterpart, fellow bodhisattva Wenshu (Manjushri) riding a lion. This pair was also often part of a broader arrangement, serving as attendants to a central figure of Shakyamuni Buddha or in a trio as the San Dashi ('Three Great Bodhisattvas') together with Guanyin riding a mythical hou. 

A record in the Qing gong chenshe dang'an ('Archives of the Arrangement of the Qing Palace') from 1780 describes the layout of the Zhongzhengdian ('Hall of Rectitude') in the Imperial Palace complex. This hall, used during imperial birthday celebrations as a place of Buddhist worship, was destroyed in a fire in 1923 but was at one point filled with Buddhist icons. The record goes on to describe the 'west adjoining hall' (Xipeilou) as follows:

'In the center lies a yangcai porcelain Wenshu Bodhisattva riding a lion (...) On the left lies a yangcai porcelain Puxian Bodhisattva riding an elephant (...) and on the right a yangcai porcelain Guanshiyin Bodhisattva riding a hou.'

Although this trio of San Dashi may refer to three figures preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing – illustrated in Ma Yunhua, 'Qi huan gui li: Qing dai gongtang cang cizhi zang chuan fojiao jingpin [Fantastic and Magnificent: Tibetan Buddhist Porcelain Made in the Imperial Court of the Qing Dynasty]', Forbidden City, 2016 (1), no. 134, pp 68-69 (Figs 1-3) – the quality of the present lot and this clear evidence of imperial demand for such a statement piece leave little doubt as to its importance: a one-of-a-kind imperial treasure, likely made for the devout Emperor himself.