• Dimension: Height: 8 in (20.3 cm) Width: 5 in (12.7 cm)
• Estimate From: $30000
• Estimate To: $50000

The bodhisattva is finely cast seated in dhyanasana on a double lotus base, his hands in gesture of dharmachakra mudra, holding the tips of lotus stems, wearing a flowing dhoti gathered in folds around his knees and sash around the shoulders, body adorned with beaded pendant jewellery chains. The face is shown with a benevolent expression, with downcast eyes and smiling lips, his hair is behind a pointed crown. The front of the base is incised with a six-character presentation mark, Daming Yongle nian shi, 'Bestowed in the Great Ming Yongle period'. The bottom plate missing. Ming Dynasty Yongle period.

Provenance: Private New York collection, acquired from Drouot, Paris in the 1950s by repute and thence in the family.
此尊文殊頭戴寶冠，紺發，寶繒在耳後扎花結，呈“U”字形。面龐方形，修眉細目，眼睛微閉，莊重中蘊含慈祥，鼻高直，耳飾璫。頸有三道，胸飾瓔珞，著披帛，下身穿裙，雙手持蓮莖，兩肩各有蓮花一朵。結跏趺坐，臂、腕、足有釧。仰覆蓮花座上飾連珠紋。蓮花寶座上橫行楷書陰刻“大明永樂年施”六字款。此造像鎏金厚實，華富繁縟，充分體現了明代永樂時期宮廷的審美品位。其上身微微傾斜，細腰，寬肩的造型也明顯受到印度尼泊爾工藝的影響，屬永樂宮廷造像之佳作，十分難得。可比較一尊較大同時期銅鎏金文殊菩薩像，香港佳士得，2014年11月，拍品號3106, 以及同時期風格相近銅鎏金四臂文殊菩薩像，收藏于紐約大都會藝術博物館。 來源: 紐約私人收藏，據傳於1950年代從巴黎 Druout 購得，隨後由家族繼承。