Buddhist art in its splendid forms is the theme of Gianguan Auctions’ upcoming sale on September 9th.

The catalog cover lot is an elegant gray-stone Guanyin seated in dhyanasana, clad in a plain monastic shawl that exposes a bare chest. Of the Western Wei (386-535 CE), it weighs in at nearly 100-pounds and is 2- feet tall. It is Lot 265. From the Eastern Wei (534-550 CE), comes a slender standing Guanyin, also gray stone, that commands a petal base. The deity’s richly pleated garments fall above the feet in a high-low profile. 3-feet tall, 60-pounds, it is Lot 268. Each is valued at $50,000 - $60,000.

A thousand years later, tributes to the deities became more elaborate, as exemplified by a Tibetan gilt-bronze thangka of Avalokiteshvara, the human manifestation of the eternal Buddha Amitabh. This masterpiece of intricate repoussé depicts the deity in dharmachakra. It is seated on a stepped throne within a stupa inlaid with coral, turquoise and lapis, all mounted in a border of chased lotus tendrils. The mantra Om A Hum is engraved on the work, which is similar to items in the 2014 Asia Society exhibition “Golden Visions of Densatil, A Tibetan Buddhist Monastery.”  The rare, rectangular frieze is Lot 270, valued at $40,000-$60,000.

Gilt bronze deities include a pigmented figure of Tara seated in seated in lalitasana. Blue eyes punctuate the serene face while polychrome accents the forehead framing crown.  It is Lot 271, expected to bring upwards of $15,000. Meanwhile, a fearsome Qing Dynasty Vajrabhairava Yamantaka with two moveable arms grasping his consort and thirty-two fixed arms wielding weapons, is a tour-de-force of casting. Each part was individually cast and assembled, forming a dramatic representation of this protector of Tibetan Buddhism. It is Lot 272, 10-inches tall, estimated at $40,000-$60.000.

Other excellent values include three exceptional Ming figures of different media. Lot 262 is a gilt bronze seated Luohan holding an elixir cup. Lot 266 is a carved gilt lacquer wood figure of Bodhisattva that retains some blue and red pigment.  And Lot 267 is a rare lacquered gilt bronze seated Avalokitesvara atop a high plinth. Over all estimates are $3,000 to $10,000. 

Top tier Buddhist paintings lead with “The Wandering Mallard” by Zhu Da (Bada Shanren), the Han Dynasty painter of royal descent who took refuge in a monastery and became a monk. Exquisite in its full-bleed background of dark brown with the singular duck, tree and rockery rendered in black, it is signed Bada Shanren and bears one artist seal. Lot 107 is expected to command upwards of $600,000.

Among the meditative paintings is Dai Jin’s “Four Panels of Buddha.”  A Hand work, it is executed in Zhe School (Southern Song) style with  frontispiece by Wang Zuxi and colophon by Yu Yue. Lot 100, it is valued at more than $30,000. 

For full details, please visit www.gianguanauctions.com and download the catalog. Gallery previews begin Wednesday, August 30 and continue through Friday, September 8. The sale is September 9. Bidding is currently underway on www.invaluable.com,  www.liveaucitoneers.com and www.epailive.com. For condition reports, please call Gianguan Auctions, 212- 867-7288 or email info@gianguanauctions.com.