Bejewelled Gold Miniature Sculpture of the Amitabha Buddha

In Tibetan Buddhism, the Amitabha Buddha symbolises health and longevity, and is thought to grant believers a long, blessed life. Because of these attributes, worship of Amitabha was historically prevalent in both Chinese and Tibetan Buddhism. Even the Qing dynasty (1644–1911) emperors were devout believers of Amitabha, particularly the Kangxi and Qianlong Emperors, whose w♔orship of theꦐ buddha was especially fervent and representative.

The present lot is a gold miniature sculpture of Amitabha. The Buddha’s body, lotus pedestal, and mandorla with the Six Manifestations are all fashioned from 20 karat yellow gold whilst the outer frame with the Eight Treasures and other decorative details are made from 18 karat yellow gold. The two different karat gold finishes add texture and depth to the work. Moreover, the rigidity of the outer frame helps to protect fine details from wear and damage, displaying great attention to detail and respect for the Amitabha Buddha. The entire sculpture weighs approximately 160 grams, decorated throughout with important gemstones. The lotus scrolls on the back of the mandorla are inset with twenty natural rubies and the outer frame is adorned with lapis lazuli beads of the highest quality. The Buddha’s niche is suspended from the outer frame with connecting rings fashioned from 18 karat yellow gold into the form of evil-subduing staffs along with another circular ring carved with miniature makaras set with eight rubies. The lapis lazuli beads terminate with gold mirrors in the shape of lotus blossoms. At the centre of this cluster of mirrors is a magnifying glass that allows closer examination of the sculpture’s fine details. The sculpture stands on a hand-forged silver pedestal adorned with auspicious clouds and lotus scrolls. The pedestal is inset at the centre with a cintamani 🌱(wish-fulfilling jewel) made from 18 karat gold. At once fluid and substantial in form, the jewel helps to foreground the icon’s luxuriance and solemnity.

The Amitabha sculpture required some 2000 hours to produce and is an important and representative work by the master sculptor Meihua. Measuring only 35mm in height, Amitabha wears a luxurious headdress with floral patterns and has his hair tied in a high topknot. With a long and round face, he wears a serious expression whilst seated upright, his body is long and thin, with broad shoulders, a round chest, and a narrow waist. Overall, the icon is solemn in effect and extremely finely crafted – a perfect fusion of religious sanctity and artistic beauty. Behind Amitabha is a large, boat-shaped mandorla that is ringed with a series of beads. The mandorla is inset with twenty rubies, and its right and left sides are carved with flames and lotus scrolls. Within the lotus scrolls are carvings of six animals arranged in three pairs. From top to bottom, they are Garuda and a Son of Dragon; a makara and a young boy; and a lion and an el🌸ephant, also known as the Six Manifestations in Buddhism, which all have auspiꦅcious symbolic meanings.

Zaoxiang Liangdu Jing Xubu (An Explanation of the Scripture on Measurements for the Making of Buddhist Images, Continued and Appended) gives a detailed description of the Six Manifestations, identifying them respectively as the Great Peng Bird (Garuda), the manifestation of compassion; the Whale (makara), the manifestation of protection; the Son of Dragon, the manifestation of salvation; the Young Boy, the manifestation of prosperity; the King of Beasts (lion), the manifestation of self-sufficient existence and the King of Elephants, the manifestation of good teaching. Highly detailed and complex, the Six Manifestations appear only on the mandorlas of prestigious Tibetan Buddhist icons and not on ordinary icons, indicating the religious significance and artistic value of the present sculpture. Measuring only 45mm in height inclusive of the mandorla, the sculpture is extremely finely carved. The Son of Dragon, makara, and young ♕boy each♊ take up only about 0.2sq-mm but appear no less beautiful even when seen through a magnifying glass at several dozen times the size.

Amitabha’s face is finely and vividly articulated. With an expression equally compassionate and dignified, it embodies the utmost sophistication in icon-making. This icon builds on the art of Buddhist sculpture developed by imperial court workshops during the Ming (1368 – 1644) and Qing dynasties an♋d further incorporates other artistic elements. In figuration, adornment, and craftsmanship alike, it represents the highest level of aesthetic refinement. At the same time, it demonstrates the beauty of miniature sculptures and the virtuosity of the master sculptor.

This gold miniature sculpture of Amitabha is delicate in size, elegant in figuration, finely detailed, and sophไisticated in craftsmanship. It is extremely rare among extant Tibetan Buddhist icons and a superb example of the genre.

金藏傳無量壽佛佛龕掛墜

在藏傳佛教中，無量壽佛象徵遠離災疾，壽數無盡，具有增福延壽的功用，因此他在中國漢藏歷史中都有著廣泛的信仰。而清朝帝王對無量壽佛的信仰和崇拜尤👍其突出，堪稱清朝帝王崇拜的第一佛。其中康熙帝和乾隆帝在清帝中對藏傳佛教崇奉尤盛，而他們對無量壽佛的熱衷和虔信也最具代表性。

此尊黃金無量壽佛造像。佛身造型精巧，須彌座、六拏具背光均20k黃金制，八寶蓮花外框及其他金飾部件為18k黃金，兩種成色黃金的搭配使整體層次更加豐富，其外框18k黃金的硬度更有益於作品精妙的細節不易磨損。整件作品金重約160克，背光兩側蓮枝紋飾中鑲嵌20顆天然紅寶石。108顆頂級天然青金石珠鏈，隔珠為18k金降魔杵造型，佛框掛環為摩羯獸頭並鑲嵌8顆天然紅🅺寶石，珠鏈末端配金雕蓮花寶鏡，寶鏡中心定制光學放大鏡片，可用於欣賞作品精美的細節。本尊造像配有純手工打造925銀祥雲纏枝蓮紋須彌座，座正面鑲嵌18k金摩尼如意寶珠，整體造型流暢沉穩，更加襯托出造像之華貴莊嚴。

本品鏨刻耗時近2000個小時，是雕𒁏刻師梅花的重要代表作品。此尊全金造像佛身高僅35毫米，此像頭戴花冠，頂結高髮髻，面形長圓，神態莊肅。身軀修長，坐姿正直，肩寬胸挺，腰部收束，整體造型端莊大方，工藝繁複講究，充分彰顯了佛像之莊嚴與藝術之精美。佛像身後配有舟形大背光，背光邊緣飾一周連珠紋，兩側雕刻火焰纏枝蓮紋飾，並鑲嵌20顆天然紅寶石，背光內纏枝蓮上對稱雕刻六種動物，自上而下依次為大鵬金翅鳥、龍子、摩竭、童男、獅和象。

背光上裝飾的六種動物，佛教稱為「六拏具」，它們各有不同的美好寓意。在《造像量度經續補》中有明確的記載：「六拏具者：一曰伽噌拏，華雲大鵬，乃慈悲之相也。二曰布囉拏，華雲鯨魚（摩竭），保護之相也。三那囉拏，𓄧華雲龍子，救度之相也。四曰婆囉拏，華雲童男，福資之相也。五曰舍🦄囉拏，華雲獸王（獅），自在之相也。六曰救囉拏，華雲象王，善師之相也。是六件之尾語俱是‘拏’字，敬曰‘六拏具。」 六拏具裝飾在藏傳佛教造像中只出現在地位尊崇的佛像背光上，一般的佛像上很少出現如此復雜和講究的裝飾。可見，六拏具裝飾也充分顯示此尊佛像的宗教地位和價值非同一般。此尊佛像六拏具背光總高僅為45毫米，工藝之精美，尺寸之小巧實屬罕見，其中龍子、摩竭、童男等造型的最小面積僅為0.2平方毫米，而且造型在放大數十倍尺寸下觀看依然精美絕倫。

此像面相刻畫尤為細膩生動，面容慈悲華貴，盡顯造像之莊嚴美妙。此尊造像在立足於明清宮廷佛造像藝術的基礎上，又吸收融合了多種藝術元素，無論從造型𓃲、裝飾還是工藝上看，都顯示了極高的藝術品質，同時也展現了雕刻師微雕藝術與技術🐼的精湛與優美。

此尊黃金無量壽佛造像體量之精巧，造型之優美，裝飾之繁複，工藝之講究，在世界藏傳佛教造像中極為罕見，當屬精品之作🏅。