Mark Rasmussen
International Director
Lot 18
A gilt copper alloy figure of Marichi Qing dynasty, 18th century
18 September 2013, 10:00 EDT
New YorkSold for US$254,500 inc. premium
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A gilt copper alloy figure of Marichi
Qing dynasty, 18th century
Seated on a lotus base in vajrasana with her eight arms radiating around her, wearing a garment with stippled hem and beaded edge, girdle, arm ornaments, necklace, lotus bud earrings, and elaborate tiara, her principle head with a serene expression flanked by her wrathful right hand face and boar's face on the left, her hair drawn into a double chignon and surmounted by a buddha-head finial.
13 in. (33 cm) high
Seated on a lotus base in vajrasana with her eight arms radiating around her, wearing a garment with stippled hem and beaded edge, girdle, arm ornaments, necklace, lotus bud earrings, and elaborate tiara, her principle head with a serene expression flanked by her wrathful right hand face and boar's face on the left, her hair drawn into a double chignon and surmounted by a buddha-head finial.
13 in. (33 cm) high
Footnotes
Marichi, whose name means 'ray of light', is the goddess of the dawn, who drives away the night and the darkness of ignorance and fear. In Chinese Buddhism, this deity assumes the female form and is believed to be the mother of the Northern Star referred to as the 'Dipper Mother' (Dǒumǔ Yuánjūn), a constellation in Sagittarius. She is similarly observed in Doaism, where she is often referred to as the Queen of Heaven (Tiān Hòu). For a further reading cf. Frédéric, Buddhism: Flammarion Iconographic Guides, Paris, 1995, pp. 224-5.
For another bronze most likely cast in a monastery in Beijing during the reign of the Qianlong emperor (1736-96), see Pal & Tseng, Lamaist Art, Boston, 1969, no. 47. Additionally, an example of Ushnishavijaya of similar size and style was sold at Koller, Zurich, 7-8 May 2013, lot 130 and Christie's, South Kensington, 15 May 2008, lot 379. Lastly, a monumental version exhibiting an almost identical treatment of the face, jewelry, sash, and robe is held in the Brooklyn Museum of Art (10.221).
Provenance:
Private Collection, Canada
Christie's, New York, 20 September 2000, lot 111