Price Guide to Antiques & Collectables
This item has been sold, and the description, image and price ($US) are for reference purposes only.

18th Century Tibetan Gilt Bronze Standing Avalokiteshvara Statue

A Tibetan gilt bronze figure of standing Avalokiteshvara, circa 18th century, the deity cast in bronze with fine gilding, depicted standing on his lotus throne, with two hands in anjalimudra, his others in various positions, his smiling principle face flanked by two others, with seven further heads above, surmounted by a diminutive head of Manjushri. He is wearing elaborate jewels, and a scarf flowing to the lowest hem of the dhoti, which stops short of his feet. Intact base plate., 7.09 in. high, 3.74 in. wide. Provenance: Eldred's Auctions, 28 August 1998, lot 278. Dr Raul Vispo collection. Soo Tze Oriental Antiques, 2011.

You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.

Register Now to view actual auction price for this item.

  • Gilding - Gilding is a method of ornamentation whereby a thin sheet of gold metal is applied to items made of wood, leather, ceramics, glass and silver for decorative purposes.

    For furniture including mirrors, the sheet of gold is usually applied over a coating of gesso. Gesso is a mixture of plaster of Paris and gypsum mixed with water and then applied to the carved wooden frames of mirrors and picture frames as a base for applying the gold leaf. After numerous coats of gesso have been applied, allowed to dry and then sanded a coat of "bole", a usually red coloured mixture of clay and glue is brushed on and allowed to dry, after which the gold leaf is applied. Over time parts of the gilding will rub off so the base colour can be seen. In water gilding, this was generally a blue colour, while in oil gilding, the under layer was often yellow. In Victorian times, gilders frequently used red as a pigment beneath the gold leaf.

    Metal was often gilded by a process known as fire gilding. Gold mixed with mercury was applied and heated, causing the mercury to evaporate, the long-term effect of which was to kill or disable the craftsman or woman from mercury poisoning. The pursuit of beauty has claimed many victims, not the least of which were the artists who made those pieces so highly sought after today.
  • Bronze - An alloy of copper and tin, traditionally in the proportions of about 9 parts of copper to 1 part of tin.

    The discovery of bronze in Western Asia in the 4th century enabled people to create metal objects which were superior to those previoulsy possible because of its strength and hardness, and it has been used throughout the world for weapons, coins, tools, statuary and other decorative items.

    It is very fluid in a molten state, and its hardness, strength when set, and non-corrosive properties makes it most suitable for casting sculpture.
  • Circa - A Latin term meaning 'about', often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.

This item has been included into following indexes:

A Tibetan gilt bronze figure of standing Avalokiteshvara, circa…