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Hello,
I am looking at this Bronze mult-armed Bodhisattva, which to me looks very good. It has a 7 character qianlong mark and I'm wondering if it could be of the period. The gilt seems to be not brushed but plated using the traditional mercury method, from what I can see in the photos, but there also appears to be two types of gilt. After looking at some qianlong pieces it seems as though this was sometime the case. two different gilts. Also the hair was painted dark green at some point.. It would be great to know if anyone here is an expert on these types of Bronze works..
Thanks in Advance,
Tom
The faces and arms seem to have been guilted at a later date with a different method.. here are more photos
@lotusblack Thanks Brian,
I can't find many 19th century buddhas with a qianlong mark. The only one on bonhams I can find is this one, but the mark is different (on the back):
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/22812/lot/384/
Or this one, but this was sold in 2007... nothing since then with the same mark:
https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-4991413
The closest I can find is this one, which is fairly similar in a lot of ways..
I believe your example is not refined enough for the earlier dating and shows some signs of sand casting but the picture are not great. There are no spikes on the base plate so the helps not date it as 20th century my thinking is 1890ish give or take 20 years
Thanks Brian, That's very interesting, I don't know what these signs are, of sand casting. I've tried to see if I can detect any brush maks or tool marks in the photos, but I don't see any. However the same can be said of the example from freemans, which to me looks like a similar quality of rendering (the hands, the crown, etc), although the eyes are a little more resolved. I'd be very interested to know how you can detect the difference between sand casting and lost wax form looking at the finished bronze. Here are a few more photos, not sure if they are detailed enough thou..
some other examples of the period:
I'm assuming sand casting would produce a solid piece not a hollow work as with the lost wax right?
I'm assuming sand casting would produce a solid piece not a hollow work as with the lost wax right?
Okay so sand casting are also hollow...
Hi, can someone please tell me how to post a new topic it’s been along time since I’ve been on this site?
thank you so much, sally
@thomasumjohnson I feel the piece is fairly modern, perhaps even extremely modern, but made to look old.
First, a Qianlong mark and period piece would have exceptional casting using mold casting technicques, not sand casting as your piece shows, and as Brian has pointed out.
Second, the eyes appear to have out of proportion eye lids... they are just too puffy. Some very old Buddha shows this trait, but not Qing pieces. I have noticed over the last few years that modern Dehua and bronze figures show this 'puffy eye' trait.
Third, regardless of the technique that the gold gilt was applied (which can be copied in modern times), the wear is unnatural. Wear on contact point makes sense, but the manner of how the wear to the guilt to the faces is too strange. Also, every face has the same amount of wear...that shouldn't happen.
I have an 18/19th c. gilt bronze buddha that I'm sending to Christies for their Spring 2023 sale. It is not mark and period, and is of good, not great, quality overall. Given your piece bears a Qianlong mark, the expectation is that the quality of the casting and gilt work would be better than that of my non-mark and period buddha, yet the wear is far more extensive and the details a bit less refined given the photos you posted.
The technology exists to make very convincing modern bronze fakes. I've been caught on a few, so my advice is that if there is any aspect that is not right, then don't buy unless you can buy it at decorative value.
I agree with Tim, this piece is suspicious due to aspects of the casting and wear. I would avoid it, unless just for decorative pleasure and cheap.
@tukfrump Click on the category name on the main forum page you want to post in such as "Help identify this" and then at the top right of the page that opens up click "add topic" then you can fill in the blanks.
Nice piece Tim,
Not sure if I agree that it's a modern bronze thou. I don't think forgers can make the bronze tarnished as it is on the hand in this detail, below the gilding.. Also I am very interested in how you can tell it may have been sand casted. I'm sure it would be useful for other people to know as well...
thanks for the input..
Tom
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