TIBET, 16TH CENTURY

This present lot portrays Amitayus, the bliss-body of the tathagata Amitabha. In Tibet, Amitayus is worshiped in a special ceremony for obtaining long life and is traditionally is depicted wearing ornaments and a crown and holding the ambrosia vase from which spill the jewels of eternal life. In the present lot, the figure is seated cross legged on top of a double lotus throne with hands and legs crossed in dhyanasana .The figure’s hair is formed in locks escaping over the shoulders and secured with a tiara. The gilding remains in many areas of the piece, with a few inlaid hardstones still preserved as well.

The present lot hails from the collection of Alfred Byrd Graf (1901-2001), a renowned German botanist and world traveler, dedicated his life to horticulture and plant exploration. He discovered over 100 new plant species, including notable varieties of Dracaena, Sansevieria, and the first white African violet, meticulously documenting them in an illustrated book series. Throughout his career, he embarked on numerous expeditions across the continents, seeking new species from New Guinea to Mount Kilimanjaro -- “a wall in [his home] displayed a map of the world with a pin dot for every place he and his wife, had gone plant hunting. Few areas were left dotless” (W. Saxton, Alfred Graf, 100, Botanist and Author of Plant Books, New York Times, 2002.). Byrd is known to have savored the ornamental usage of plants in Asia and had a deep appreciation for accompanying local sculptural and craft traditions.