CHINE, DEBUT DE LA DYNASTIE MING (1368-1644) Ils sont représentés debout en samabhanga sur un socle lotiforme. L'un des bodhisattvas tient un manuscrit dans sa main droite. Ils sont vêtus d'un dhoti, un chale recouvrant ls épaules. Ils sont parés de bijoux. L'expression de l visage est sereine. Ls cheveux sont coiffés en un haut chignon rehaussé d'une tiare ; accidents et restaurations. Hauts: circa 135 cm. (circa 53 1/8 in.)
The Dharma collection, since early 2000s, and thus by descent to the present owner.
The result of Beta Analytic Inc., Miami, C14 test n°178279 (24 April 2003) is consistent with the dating of the lot.
Similar types of figures can be seen in a number of Buddhist temples of the Ming dynasty in Shanxi province. In the Guanyin Hall and the Thousand Buddha Hall of the Shuanglin Temple in Pingyaoxian, south of Taiyuan, large numbers of figures of heavenly bodhisattvas adorn the walls. They are dressed in robes whose details are strongly modeled to emphasize the thickness of the drapery folds and the often unusual swirling and fluttering patterns of hems and borders of the layered gowns, sleeves, shawls, etc. Like the present pair they are painted predominantly in red and green pigments with added relief decoration. Similar types of figures can also be seen in the Zhenguo and the Shuanglin Temples, also in Pingyaoxian: see The Research Institute of the Buddhism Culture of China, Buddhist Sculpture of Shanxi Province, Hong Kong, 1991, pls. 11, 15, 18 and 172-180.