A fine Chinese gilt-lacquered bronze sculpture of Buddha Amitayus, Yongle 大明永樂年施 mark and of the period

H.: 19,2 cm

Provenance:
- Acquired in China on a visit in the first quarter of the 20th C., by the grandparents of the current owner. (by repute)
- Handed down in the family over two generations to the current owner, a Belgian family.

The present figure belongs to a very rare group of smaller sized Buddhist sculptures from the Yongle period that are finely and skilfully cast.
A small section, where the gilt lacquer on the upper edge of the lotus throne is removed, reveals a part of its inscription: 'Da Ming Yongle nian shi' (大明永樂年施).

Condition: (UV-checked)
- Generally in very good condition with some normal superficial wear and some spots of lacquer loss, the most apparent on the upper edge of the lotus throne as described above.

品相：（已用紫外线光检查）
- 整体品相非常良好，正常磨损，几处典型金漆剥落，莲花座正面上沿的边缘有一处最明显的区域泥金被刮除，尺寸约为 5 x 10 毫米。

Ref.:
- Ulrich von Schroeder,Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1981, where the author states: 'fifty-four Da Ming Yongle nian zhi works have been documented in Tibetan monastery collections, most of which are held in Potala Palace. These works have survived in Tibet due to imperial patronage lavished on Tibetan hierarchs and monasteries during the reign of the Yongle Emperor. The slim elongated lotus petals on the base of this piece are only seen on smaller Yongle works which average eighteen to twenty-two centimeters in height. Thus this group of figures are characterized by their delicate appearance, emphasized by the intimate size and exquisitely finished details.
- The Hermitage Museum, St-Petersburg, inventory number y-656, for a closely related example. (link)
- The British Museum, London, museum number 1908,0420.4, for a larger example on a later (Qing) base, also with the inscribed 6-character Yongle mark. (link)