A SINO-TIBETAN GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF A LAMA, DOLONNOR, 17TH-18TH CENTURY

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A SINO-TIBETAN GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF A LAMA, DOLONNOR, 17TH-18TH CENTURY Expert’s note Dolonnor, located in present-day Inner Mongolia, emerged as an important center of Buddhist sculpture under Qing imperial patronage from the late 17th century onward. While geographically distinct from Tibet, its workshops operated firmly within the Tibetan Buddhist religious tradition, serving the numerous monasteries of Mongolia and the wider Qing realm. Their production reflects a distinctive synthesis of Tibetan Buddhist iconography with Mongolian and Chinese imperial artistic traditions, making Dolonnor an important cultural and artistic link between Beijing, Mongolia, and Tibet. Finely cast in two parts, the figure is seated in dhyanasana on a cushioned throne, his right hand raised in vitarka mudra, dressed in fine robes with floral hems, the fabric falling in elegant pleats over the shoulder and below the feet, while the face is downcast in a meditative expression with heavy eyelids and gentle smile, flanked by elongated earlobes and smooth hair accentuated in black. The throne is covered in a neatly incised cover featuring floral hems and lobed emblems enclosing blossoms. The cushions similarly decorated with floral scrollwork. The base sealed with a copper plate. X-Ray: Several images, available in the online catalogue images, reveal not only the exceptionally precise casting with almost razor-sharp contours, a hallmark of the Dolonnor workshops, but also indicate the presence of a small amount of possible consecratory material within. Its nature cannot be determined, as the sealed figure must not be opened. Dimensions: Height 16.3 cm The Qing emperors and court maintained a close affinity with Tibetan Buddhism, holding the great lamas of the principal schools in high esteem. The Qianlong Emperor’s essay Lama shuo (On Lamaism), written in the 56th year of his reign (1791), provides an important insight into the court’s attitude towards and policies concerning the religion. As noted by Wang Baoguang, Tibetan Buddhism was valued not only as a revered faith, but also as an effective instrument of imperial governance, particularly in maintaining stability among the empire’s outer regions, including Mongolia. See Wang Baoguang, ‘An Analysis of the Relationship between the Qing Emperor’s Belief in Tibetan Buddhism and Their Tactics of Running China from the Aspect of Lama Shuo (On Lamaism)’, in Lightness of Essence: Tibetan Buddhism Relics of the Palace Museum, Macau, 2003, p. 370. The widespread production of Tibetan Buddhist images, including representations of eminent lamas such as the present figure, during the 18th and 19th centuries, reflects the religion’s profound political, cultural, and devotional significance at the Qing court. Dolonnor bronzes like the present lot were made to populate a rapid expansion of Buddhist temples throughout the Qing Empire's borderlands in Central Asia. Dolonnor, also known as Dolon Nor or Dolonnur, is a town in Duolun County in the Inner Mongolia region of China. It is of historical importance because the remnants of Shangdu, the summer capital of Kublai Khan and the following Mongol emperors of the Yuan dynasty (13th and 14th century), are located 28 kilometers northwest of the modern town. Beginning in the mid-17th century, the Manchu emperors of the Qing dynasty developed the city as a religious center. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s New York, 23 March 2018, lot 1044 Price: USD 15,000 or approx. EUR 17,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of casting, gilding, and subject, with similar fine incision work, treatment of the face and ears, and size (15.2 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams San Francisco, 19 June 2012, lot 6202 Price: USD 9,375 or approx. EUR 12,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of casting, gilding, and subject. Note the smaller size (13.5 cm).

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