Rare gilt silver figure of Bhaisajyaguru

Description:

Inner Mongolia, Dolonnor, 18th cent.
H. 11,5 cm
Seated in vajrasana on a lotus base with his right hand holding the myrobalan-fruit while the left is resting on his lap supporting the almsbowl, wearing a monastic garment including a mantle covering both shoulders, his face displaying a serene expression with downcast eyes below arched eyebrows, elongated earlobes, curled hairdo continuing into the ushnisha and topped with a lotus bud, unsealed.
From an old private collection in Berlin
In the 17th and 18th centuries, Dolonnor (Chinese: 多伦诺尔, today Duolun, Inner Mongolia) developed into one of the most important production centres for Buddhist bronzes in the Sino-Mongolian region. Under the rule of the Qing emperors - in particular Kangxi (1662-1722), Yongzheng (1722-1735) and Qianlong (1736-1795) - Dolonnor was specifically promoted in order to meet the religious needs of the Mongols, Tibetans and Manchurians alike. Its proximity to the capital Beijing and its links to the trade routes to Tibet made Dolonnor a melting pot of different traditions. Tibetan Buddhist iconography, Manchurian court aesthetics and Mongolian sacred culture came together here. The bronze and silver figures from Dolonnor were not only religious objects, but also an expression of a political strategy: the integration of the Mongolian and Tibetan elites into Qing rule through the promotion of Tibetan Buddhism.
Compare a silver figure of Vajrasattva, Bonhams London, 6th October 2023 (HAR 4923). October 2023 (HAR 4916); a white silver Tara inlaid with Türkis, Bonhams London, 2 October 2018; and a series of 18th century Dolonnor silver statues in the Himalayan Art Resources corpus, including Vajradhara, Ushnishavijaya and Amitayus. - Very minor wear