PARIS - L’exposition Giorgio de Chirico. La peinture métaphysique retrace le parcours et les influences artistiques et philosophiques qui ont nourri l’artiste Giorgio de Chirico de Munich à Turin, puis à Paris où il découvre les avant-gardes picturales de son temps et enfin à Ferrare. De manière inédite, seront mis en lumière les liens du peintre, découvert par Apollinaire puis soutenu par le marchand Paul Guillaume, avec les cercles culturels et littéraires parisiens.

Né en Grèce et formé dans le creuset de la culture classique et du romantisme allemand tardif, De Chirico développe les fondements d’une nouvelle conception artistique aux côtés de son frère cadet Alberto Savinio. Élève à l’Académie des Beaux-Arts de Munich à partir de 1908, il découvre la pensée de Nietzsche et Schopenhauer ainsi que les œuvres de Böcklin et de Klinger. Après un passage à Milan puis Florence, c’est cependant depuis la France, à Paris dès l’automne 1911, qu’il met en place un vocabulaire plastique singulier au contact des révolutions picturales modernistes. Il est très vite remarqué par certaines personnalités artistiques de son temps. Guillaume Apollinaire, Maurice Raynal et André Salmon, mais aussi André Breton, Paul Éluard, Jean Paulhan, sont parmi les premiers à s’intéresser à son œuvre et à la promouvoir.

L’exposition trouve ainsi toute sa place au musée de l’Orangerie autour de la figure de Paul Guillaume qui fut le tout premier marchand de Giorgio de Chirico. De retour en Italie en 1915, il est envoyé avec son frère Savinio à Ferrare pour des raisons militaires et y poursuit ses recherches picturales. La période ferraraise (juin 1915-décembre 1918) est l’occasion pour les peintres Carlo Carrà et Giorgio Morandi de fréquenter les deux frères permettant ainsi la formation de ce que l’on qualifiera plus tard d’"école métaphysique" et sur laquelle se clôt l’exposition.

Exposition organisée par les musées d’Orsay et de l’Orangerie, Paris et la Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hambourg

Commissariat général : Paolo Baldacci, président de l'Archivio dell'Arte Metafisica
Commissariat de l'exposition à Paris : Cécile Girardeau, conservatrice au musée de l'Orangerie
Commissariat de l'exposition à Hambourg : Dr. Annabelle Görgen-Lammers, conservatrice à la Hamburger Kunsthalle.

Giorgio de Chirico (10.7.1888 - 20.11.1978) / Maler, Serenade. 1909. Öl auf Leinwand, 82 x 120 cm, Inv.-Nr. A II 797. Creditline: Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Nationalgalerie / Fotograf: Jürgen Liepe VG Bild-Kunst, 53113 Bonn, Weberstr. 61, www.bildkunst.de Werbliche Nutzung nur nach Rücksprache

Giorgio de Chirico, Il Ritornante, 1917-18. © Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Georges Meguerditchian © ADAGP, Paris, 2020.

Giorgio de Chirico, L'Incertitude du poète, 1913. © Tate, Londres, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Tate Photography © ADAGP, Paris, 2020.

Giorgio de Chirico, La récompense de la devineresse, 1913 © Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / SIAE, Rome © ADAGP, Paris, 2020. 

Giorgio de Chirico, La conquête du philosophe, 1913-14 © Art Institute of Chicago, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / image The Art Institute of Chicago © ADAGP, Paris, 2020

Giorgio de Chirico, Le cerveau de l'enfant, 1914 © Moderna Museet / Stockholm © ADAGP, Paris, 2020.

Giorgio de Chirico, Portrait (prémonitoire) de Guillaume Apollinaire, 1914 © Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Adam Rzepka © ADAGP, Paris, 2020

Giorgio de Chirico, Les deux soeurs (L'ange juif), 1915 © BPK, Berlin, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Walter Klein © ADAGP, Paris, 2020

Giorgio de Chirico, La Mélancolie du départ, 1916 © Tate, Londres, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Tate Photography © ADAGP, Paris, 2020 

Giorgio Morandi, Nature morte, 1920 © Ministero per i beni e le attività culturali e per il turismo (MiBACT) - Pinacoteca di Brera - Archivio Fotografico © ADAGP, Paris, 2020.

Lot 56. A rare archaic bronze ritual food vessel, gui, Early Western Zhou Dynasty; 24.8cm (9 3/4in) wide. Estimate £ 8,000-12,000. Sold for £ 27,500 (€ 31,469). Courtesy Bonhams. 

The compressed globular vessel with flaring rim raised on a tall stepped foot, cast with a narrow band containing four sets of intricate taotie masks formed with raised eyes and asymmetric scrolls, bisected by animal masks to each side and flanked by a pair of loop handles with pendants issuing from ox heads, the foot similarly decorated with taotie masks separated by flanges.

Note: The combination of unusually high ring foot and the triple band motifs appear typical of the early Western Zhou bronze production in the Henan and Shaanxi Provinces. Compare with gui vessels illustrated by J.Rawson in Western Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, Washington D.C., Vol.IIB, 1990, fig.43.1, p.385, fig.44 p.390 and fig.45.4 p.393.

Lot 56. An archaistic gold and silver-inlaid bronze vessel, hu, 18th century; 17cm (6 6/8in) high. Estimate £ 5,000-8,000. Sold for £6,250 (€ 7,152). Courtesy Bonhams. 

The pear-shaped body rising from a low splayed foot, decorated on both sides with a taotie mask, the waisted neck with a band of stylised gui dragons divided by four vertical flanges, below eight upright cicada lappets enclosing scrolling motifs, the base with a diamond grid pattern.

Lot 67. A rare gold filigree 'phoenix' bracelet with original ivory box, Late Qing Dynasty. The bracelet, 18.3cm (7 3/16in) long, 18ct gold, 49.91g. Estimate £ 3,000-5,000. Sold for £6,875 (€ 7,867). Courtesy Bonhams. 

Superbly worked in filigree, with fine gold wires forming the multi-layered decoration, the central section with a phoenix with wings spread, flanked by a pair of phoenix, tree shrews and snakes; the rectangular ivory box carved on the cover with a central cartouche with figures under a willow tree by a pagoda, framed by rose petals in the corners.

Lot 3105. A superb gilt-bronze figure of Buddha, Yongle incised six-character presentation mark and of the period (1403-1425); 10 7/8 (27.5 cm.) high. Estimate HKD 12,000,000 - HKD 18,000,000. Price realised HKD 14,440,000. © Christie's Image Ltd 2014. 

The figure is finely cast seated in dhyanasana on a double lotus base, the right hand lowered in bhumisparsa mudra and the left hand held above the feet in dhyana mudra, wearing a softly pleated robe draped over the left shoulder and falling in rounded folds on the base. The face is crisply cast with a serene expression with downcast eyes, flanked by long pendulous ears cut with vertical slits, the hair arranged in rows of tight whorls surmounted by a domed usnisa. The lips and eyes are picked out in pigments. The front of the base is incised with six-character Yongle presentation mark, Da Ming Yongle nian shi, 'Bestowed in the Great Ming Yongle period'.

Provenance: Property of a lady, acquired in Australia in the 1980s
Sold at Christie's London, 11 July 2006, lot 96.

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Hong Kong, 26 November 2014

Lot 3107. A rare gilt-bronze figure of Vajrapani, Xuande incised six-character presentation mark and of the period (1426-1435); 10 1/4 in. (25.8 cm.) high. Estimate HKD 8,000,000 - HKD 10,000,000. Price realised HKD 10,840,000. © Christie's Image Ltd 2014. 

The bodhisattva is finely cast seated in dhyanasana on a double lotus base, his right arm raised holding a vajra and the other in tarjani mudra, wearing a flowing dhoti tied at waist and swirling sash over the shoulders revealing the bare chest adorned with beaded jewellery chains. The face is cast with a serene expression with downcast eyes and smiling lips, framed by an elaborate diadem and large disk earrings. The front of the base is incised with six-character presentation mark, Da Ming Xuande nian shi, 'Bestowed in the Great Ming Xuande period..

Provenance: Jacques Tindel and Monsier and Madame Alphonse Franck, Paris, acquired in the early 20th century, thence by descent within the family.

Note: During the Yuan Dynasty in the 13th and 14th centuries, the authority of Mongol rulers had become closely associated with Tibetan Buddhist or Lamaist rituals. At the beginning of the 15th century, the Buddhist fervour of the Ming court encouraged a cultural exchange between Tibet and China through Imperial patronage. Bronze sculptures in the Tibeto-Chinese style were first produced during the reign of Emperor Yongle (1403-1424) and are highly distinguished for their unsurpassed craftsmanship, overall refinement and gracefulness. Emperor Yongle (1403-25), a devout Buddhist himself, bestowed generous patronage to Buddhist monasteries and artistic ateliers, fostering the production of artworks depicting Lamaist Buddhist deities and imagery in a highly refined style, executed with the highest level of technical mastery. Gilt bronzes were commissioned from the Imperial workshops in Beijing for personal religious practices and as gifts for the many Tibetan emissaries invited to the court.

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Hong Kong, 26 November 2014

Lot 3108. A very rare inscribed gilt-bronze figure of Kapaladhara Hevajra, Zhengtong incised cyclical dingsi mark corresponding to 1437 and of the period; 9 1/2 in. (24 cm.) high. Estimate HKD 1,500,000 - HKD 2,500,000. Price realised HKD 10,840,000. © Christie's Image Ltd 2014. 

The deity is cast locked in union with his consort, Nairatma, his head with eight faces, each with the third eye. He has eight pairs of arms and two pairs of legs, the principal hands crossed behind his consort in pajnalinganabhinaya mudra holding kaplas containing an elephant and a seated monk in prayer, the remaining hands all holding kaplas containing effigies of animals and seated monks in prayer. Nairatma is holding a kartrika and kapala. The couple stands on two Maras above a double-lotus pedestal. The base plate is incised with a long inscription enclosing a double vajra, with a Zhengtong dingsi date corresponding to 1437, box.

Provenance: Collection of the painter Joachim Schlotterbeck, Wzburg (1926-2007), sold in 1992 to a German private collector.

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Hong Kong, 26 November 2014

Lot 3111. A gilt-bronze figure of a guardian, Ming dynasty, late 15th-16th century; 11 1/2 in. (29 cm.) high. Estimate HKD 700,000 - HKD 900,000. Price realised HKD 750,000. © Christie's Image Ltd 2014. 

The figure is heavily and powerfully cast with legs slightly apart, wearing an elaborate chain-mail armour secured about the waist, and flowing celestial scarves billowing above the head and trailing to the ground, with his arms raised to hold an attribute that is now missing, wood stand.

Note: The present figure is one of the four Devarajas or Celestial Kings of the Directions, who preside over the Buddhist Universe on Mount Meru as Protectors of the Buddhist Law in the Buddhist Pantheon. Specific identification of these figures is often difficult as they are predominately recognised by their individual attributes that are often missing.

Compare to a similarly cast gilt-bronze guardian figure of Vaisravana, identified by the tower held in his left hand, in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, purchased by the Asian Art Acquisition Fund in memory of Laurence Sickman and illustrated in Masterworks of Chinese Art, pp. 86-7, where it is dated Yuan dynasty.

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Hong Kong, 26 November 2014

Lot 70. A gilt-copper alloy figure of a lama, Tibet, circa 16th century; 13.5cm (5 3/8in) high. Estimate £ 3,000-4,000. Sold for £ 22,500 (€ 25,748). © Bonhams.

Seated in lotus position on a double-lotus base with beaded rims, the hands in dharmachakramudra, wearing heavy inner and outer patchwork robes, the smiling face with elongated eyes, his hair cropped short, the base sealed and incised with a double vajra.

Provenance: the Jeannette Claude Jongen collection of Buddhist Art.

Published and Illustrated: A.Neven, Etudes D'Art Lamaique et de L'Himalaya, Brussels, 1978, p.111, pl.9 (the catalogue is offered as part of the lot).

Note: The treatment of the costume and the hands held in dharmachakra mudra, are associated with images of lamas of the Pagdru Kagyu lineage; see D.Dinwiddie, ed., Portraits of the Masters: Bronze Sculptures of the Tibetan Buddhist Lineages, Chicago and London, 2003, pp.179-181. 

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART, London, 12 November 2015

Lot 71. A rare gilt copper-alloy figure of a Shakya patriarch, Tibet, 15th century; 19cm (7 1/2in) high. Estimate £ 7,000-9,000. Sold for £43,750 (€ 50,065). © Bonhams.

The figure seated in dhyanasana on a double-lotus base, the hands held in dharmachakra mudra, his hair cropped short, wearing heavy inner and outer patchwork robes, the hems incised with floral patterns and falling into graceful pleats around the ankles, flanked by two stalks of stylised lotus bearing a book and sword, the base sealed and incised with a double vajra.

Provenance: the Jeannette Claude Jongen collection of Buddhist Art.

Note: Compare a closely related portrait of Sakya Pandita Kunga Gyaltsen illustrated in Rossi and Rossi, Homage to the Holy – Portraits of Tibet's Spiritual Teachers, 2003, fig.22. Both figures have raised hands and hold the Padma stems that support the sword and sutra – common attributes among Sakya order patriarchs. Also compare with another Sakya patriarch sold in our New York rooms, September 14, 2015, lot 23.

Closely related examples sold at Sotheby's New York, 19 March 2008, lots 304-305 and especially 306. The fourth abbot of Ngor monastery, Gyaltshap Kunga Wangchuk. Another related figure, formerly in the Onno Jansen Collection, sold at Christie's New York, 22 March 2011, lot 336. The treatment of the lotus flowers compares with that of another portrait sold at Sotheby's New York, 24th September, 1997, lot 89 and another illustrated in Spink and Son Ltd., Light of Compassion, Buddhist Art from Nepal and Tibet, London, 1997, fig.12, pp.24-25. 

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART, London, 12 November 2015

Lot 72. A gilt-copper alloy figure of a lama, Tibet, circa 16th century; 15.4cm (6 1/8in) high. Estimate £7,000-9,000. Sold for £8,750 (€ 10,013). © Bonhams.

The figure seated in lotus position on a double-lotus base with beaded rims, the hands in dharmachakra mudra each holding a lotus stem, wearing heavy inner and outer patchwork robes incised with floral scrolls at the hem, the face serene with a meditative expression, his hair cropped short, the back inscribed with a lengthy Tibetan inscription, the base sealed and incised with a double vajra.

Provenance: the Jeannette Claude Jongen collection of Buddhist Art.

Published and Illustrated: A.Neven, Etudes D'Art Lamaique et de L'Himalaya, Brussels, 1978, pp.124-125, f. 35 (the catalogue is offered as part of the lot).

Note: It is most likely that the name 'Blo.gros.khang.bzang', invoked at the beginning of the two verses of the inscription, may refer to Tsongkhapa, whose spiritual name is Lobzang Dragpa (Blo.bzang grags.pa). Compare with a gilt-bronze figure of Tsongkhapa in the Nyingje Lam Collection, see J.Casey and D.Weldon, The Sculptural Heritage of Tibet, 1999, p.144, fig.62.

The inscription, translated by A.Neven, ibid., pp.124-125, reads as follows:

'Deep wisdom arises in the knowledge that the pitfalls (of the illusion) are destroyed. For the correct conduct we need to rely on the faith of the universe (?), then fame is spread to the three worlds. This venerable Lama deserves a respectful devotion. Knowledge leads to the celestial world and has possession of the triple gem (Buddha, the Buddha Law and the Community). Choosing the correct action provides a shining glory and fame to the cardinal, intermediate, nadir and zenith districts (The Ten Districts), the Southern Continent where Buddhism is taught, center of the world according to Indian Buddhist cosmography (India). Let us bow with devotion and purity of the body, speech and mind, before this glorious Lama. Be joyous!' 

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART, London, 12 November 2015

Lot 73. A rare inscribed gilt-copper alloy figure of Arhat Bhadra, Tibet, 17th century; 17cm (6 6/8in) high. Estimate £ 7,000-9,000. Sold for £60,000 (€ 68,661). © Bonhams.

The arhat seated in lalitasana on a lotus base incised with a lengthy inscription identifying the figure as Bzang po, wearing heavy inner and outer robes finely incised with floral scrolls and flower heads, the right hand in vitarka mudra, the left hand resting on the lap, the face with a meditative expression, the hair cropped short, the back incised with a Tibetan inscription, the base sealed and incised with a double vajra.

Provenance: the Jeannette Claude Jongen collection of Buddhist Art.

Published and Illustrated: A.Neven, Etudes D'Art Lamaique et de L'Himalaya, Brussels, 1978, p.114, pl.16 (the catalogue is offered as part of the lot).

Note: The three line Tibetan inscription verso identifies the figure as Phyags.pa dgra bzang.po, a variant of the simple shortened form of Bzang.po, by which Bhadra is known.

The voluminous robes are incised with delicate foliate motifs that are realistically drawn to reflect the heavy folds over his entire body and almost totally obscure the lotus base. Another portrait that is most likely from the same series of arhats sold at Sotheby's New York, 4 June 1994, lot 25 and a further later set of thirteen, formerly in the Manheim Collection, sold at Christie's New York, 16 September 2008, lot 533.

The garment hook over his left shoulder and his curled-toe boots relate directly to Ming period thangkas depicting the Buddhist elders (luohans), illustrated in J.Singer and P.Denwood, Tibetan Art, 1997, p.111, no.92. For another arhat seated on a single row of lotus petals covered by robes, included in a private collection, see HAR - himalayanart.org/items/70301. Also compare with a portrait of Brog mi Lo tsa ba dated to the 15th century preserved in the Jokhang, see U. von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures Tibet and China, 2001, vol.2, no.276C, p.1073 

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART, London, 12 November 2015

Lot 73. A gilt-copper figure of Padmasambhava, Tibet, circa 15th century; 26cm (10 2/8in) high. Estimate £ 9,000-12,000. Sold for £50,000 (€ 57,218). © Bonhams.

The figure seated over a double-lotus base with beaded rims, holding a skullcup and vajra, wearing voluminous robes falling into graceful pleats around the ankles, the face with open eyes centered by an urna and flanked by large earrings, wearing a lotus hat decorated with the sun and crescent moon, topped with a feather, the khatvanga resting on his left shoulder, the base sealed and impressed with a double vajra.

Provenance: the Jeannette Claude Jongen collection of Buddhist Art.

Published and Illustrated: A.Neven, Etudes D'Art Lamaique et de L'Himalaya, Brussels, 1978, p.110, pl.7 (the catalogue is offered as part of the lot).

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART, London, 12 November 2015

Lot 75. A gilt-copper figure of Padmasambhava, Tibet, 17th-18th century; 24.5cm (9 5/8in) high. Estimate £ 10,000-12,000. Sold for £21,250 (€ 24,317). © Bonhams.

The figure seated in lotus position, his right hand holding a vajra, the left holding a skull cup, wearing heavy inner and outer robes finely incised with floral designs and falling into graceful pleats around the legs, the face with a serene expression, flanked by pendulous ears adorned with loop earrings, the head surmounted by a five-petal lotus hat topped with a feather, the base sealed and incised with a double vajra.

Provenance: the Jeannette Claude Jongen collection of Buddhist Art.

Published and Illustrated: A.Neven, Etudes D'Art Lamaique et de L'Himalaya, Brussels, 1978, pp.122-123, pl.32 (the catalogue is offered as part of the lot).

Note: Masterfully cast with a plump expressive face, Padmasambhava is shown in conventional aspect wearing the heavy patchwork robes typical of a monk and distinctive hat topped by a feather. His right hand holding a thunderbolt, the left hand holding the skull cup filled with nectar or jewels, now missing. Compare the treatment of the robes with another in D.Dinwiddie, ed., Portraits of the Masters: Bronze Sculptures of the Tibetan Buddhist Lineages, Chicago and London, 2003, no.12, pp.110-111.

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART, London, 12 November 2015

Lot 75. A very rare small gilt-copper figure of Takkiraja, Nepal, circa 12th century; 7.8cm (3 1/8in) high. Estimate £ 3,000-4,000. Sold for £10,000 (€ 11,443). © Bonhams.

The wrathful deity standing in alidhasana, the right hand outstretched holding a hook, the left close to the chest, wearing a small garment incised with floral scrolls around the waist, adorned with an elaborate necklace and beaded anklets, the hair anklets, the long hair tied in a top knot surrounding a foliate tiara, with a later stand.

Provenance: the Jeannette Claude Jongen collection of Buddhist Art.

Published and Illustrated: A.Neven, Etudes D'Art Lamaique et de L'Himalaya, Brussels, 1978, p.117, pl.20 (the catalogue is offered as part of the lot).

Note: The diminutive size of this rare deity suggests that it was originally a part of a larger throne fulfilling his role of protector or directional guardian. See P.Pal, The Art of Nepal, Los Angeles, 1985, no.S22, p.103, for an elaborate 12th century casting of Scenes from the Life of Buddha in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art that contains closely related figures beneath the throne.

The large hook held in the right hand, which has curved due the almost pure soft nature of the copper alloy, indicates that the figure may have been a work of Newari craftsmen. As the guardian of the Southeast, Takkiraja is considered one of Three Great Red Ones (mar po kor sum) of the Guhyasamaja Tantra, along with Kurukulla of the Hevajra Tantra, Maharakta Ganapati associated with the Chakrasamvara Tantra. Compare the crown and proportions of a 13th/14th century Vajrapani suggested to be from the Khasa Malla region in the Alain Bordier Collection, see G.Beguin, Art sacre de Tibet, Suilly-la-Tour, 2013, p.114, no.44.

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART, London, 12 November 2015

Lot 77. A rare gilt-copper figure of Avalokiteshvara Chaturbhuja, Nepal, 14th-15th century; 13cm (5 1/8in) high. Estimate £ 3,000-4,000. Sold for £8,125 (€ 9,297). © Bonhams.

The deity seated in dhyanasana on a high double lotus base, the main hands in anjali mudra, the others in vitarka mudra holding prayer beads and a lotus stem, wearing a dhoti and beaded jewellery inlaid with hardstones, the face with a benevolent expression, the hair piled into a high chignon surrounding a foliate tiara, the base sealed and incised with a double vajra.

Provenance: the Jeannette Claude Jongen collection of Buddhist Art.

Note: The finer details of the face, crown and hair are obscured by the later application of cold-gold and pigments indicating that the figure was venerated in Tibet.

Compare with a closely related example of Amitayus, formerly in the Goldman Collection, sold at Sotheby's New York, 21 March 2002, lot 119.

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART, London, 12 November 2015

Lot 79. A gilt copper alloy figure of Vajradhara, Tibet, 15th-16th century; 16cm (6 2/8in) high. Estimate £ 3,000-4,000. Sold for £12,500 (€ 14,304). © Bonhams.

The deity seated in dhyanasana on a double-lotus base with both hands crossed before his chest holding a vajra and ghanta, wearing a beaded dothi and various jewellery inset with hardstones, the face with elongated eyes and a raised urna, the hair highlighted in blue and topped with a conical finial surrounding a foliate tiara.

Provenance: the Jeannette Claude Jongen collection of Buddhist Art.

Note: The broad square face and treatment of the crown, secured by pleated swags falling to the shoulders is typical of work inspired by Newari craftsmen in the 14th and 15th century in Central Tibet. Compare the figure of Amitayus in U. von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1981, no.117D, p.439.

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART, London, 12 November 2015

Lot 80. A large and rare gilt copper-alloy figure of Shakyamuni Buddha, Tibet, circa 16th century; 26cm (10 2/8in) high. Estimate £ 3,000-4,000. Sold for £18,750 (€ 21,456). © Bonhams.

The figure well cast, seated in vajraparyankasana on a beaded double-lotus base, the right hand held in bhumisparsha mudra, the left in dhyana mudra, wearing a voluminous robe finely incised with floral scrolls, draping elegantly over his shoulders and falling in loose folds over his crossed legs, the serene face with a meditative expression and downcast eyes, flanked by pendulous ears cut with vertical slots, the hair and ushnisha arranged in tight curls and supporting an ovoid jewel, the sealed base incised with a double vajra.

Provenance: the Jeannette Claude Jongen collection of Buddhist Art.

Published and Illustrated: A.Neven, Etudes D'Art Lamaique et de L'Himalaya, Brussels, 1978, pp.117-118, pl.22 (the catalogue is offered as part of the lot).

Note: The sumptuous robes falling in compacted delicate folds across the arms and legs are similar to those of a circa 15th century Buddhist hierarch in the Nyingjei Lam Collection, see J.Casey and D.Weldon, The Sculptural Heritage of Tibet, London, 1999, p. 133, no.49. Both figures share the same attenuated form and are raised on similar lotus bases. The hemlines are incised with bold foliate designs, as is the unusual under-garment across his chest. Compare with a gilt bronze Maitreya of similar proportions and wearing a full cloak-like garment sold at Christie's New York, 17 September 1998, lot 133.

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART, London, 12 November 2015

Lot 81. A gilt copper-alloy figure of Syamatara, Tibet, 14th-15th century; 16cm (6 2/8in) high. Estimate £ 4,000-6,000. Sold for £8,125 (€ 9,297). © Bonhams.

The deity seated in lalitasana on a beaded double lotus base, the right hand lowered in varada mudra, the left hand raised to the chest, flanked on both sides by a blossoming lotus stem, wearing a dhoti embellished with beaded jewellery inset with hardstones, the hair piled in a high chignon surrounded by a foliate tiara.

Provenance: the Jeannette Claude Jongen collection of Buddhist Art.

Published and Illustrated: A.Neven, Etudes D'Art Lamaique et de L'Himalaya, Brussels, 1978, p.121, pl.29 (the catalogue is offered as part of the lot).

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART, London, 12 November 2015

Lot 82. A gilt copper-alloy figure of Avalokiteshvara Chaturbhuja, Tibet, circa 15th century; 17.5cm (6 7/8in) high. Estimate £ 3,000-4,000. Sold for £13,750 (€ 15,734). © Bonhams.

The figure seated in dhyanasana on a double lotus base, the main hands in anjali mudra, the others in vitarkamudra, flanked by a lotus stem and wearing a beaded dhoti, the hair drawn up into a high chignon surrounded by a foliate tiara, the base cast with a double vajra.

Provenance: the Jeannette Claude Jongen collection of Buddhist Art.

Published and Illustrated: A.Neven, Etudes D'Art Lamaique et de L'Himalaya, Brussels, 1978, p.121, pl.28 (the catalogue is offered as part of the lot).

Note: Compare with a larger example of the same period sold at Sotheby's Paris, 10 June 2015, lot 176.

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART, London, 12 November 2015