TIBETO-CHINESE, 18TH-19TH CENTURY

Many scholars have identified Manjushri as the oldest and most significant bodhisattva in Mahayana literature. The popular deity is a bodhisattva representing transcendent wisdom, known for bestowing auspiciousness, and often carries identifiers like a blue lotus, a rosary, or a sword. However, in this present lot, his hands are empty but are held in the dharmachakramudra gesture. He is clad in a dhoti, a beaded necklace, and large jewelry details. Most significantly, this Manjushri is shown riding atop a lion which represents the use of wisdom to tame the mind – just as the deity can control and subdue the fierce creature. He is content, as expressed by his gleeful countenance, with downturned eyes and a soft smile.

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.