Ming Gilt bronze Buddha with Cloisonné Decoration

A beautiful gilt bronze Ming Dynasty Buddha with cloisonné decoration. The inscription on the back of the base identifies the chronology of the artefact with the ‘Yongle Era’, the reign of the Yongle Emperor (1402 – 1424 CE).
The Buddha seats on a tall double lotus base, decorated with vegetal motifs. He is clothed with a garment enriched with delicate cloisonné floral details. The typical traits of the iconography of the Buddha are evident in the downward eyes suggesting meditation, the straight nose and beautifully cut lips with a subtle smile. The topknot, known as ushnisha, symbolises the Buddha’s spiritual wisdom and enlightenment. The elongated earlobes, are a reference to the historical Buddha’s former wealth before enlightenment and are another distinctive feature of Buddhist iconography.
Cloisonné is an art technique that is mainly used to decorate metal objects with vitreous enamel. The technique reached China from the Byzantine Empire approximately in the 14th century, and artisans at the imperial workshops became soon well skilled in it. This Buddha is of particular interest, as the reign of the Yongle Emperor predated the fall of Constantinople (1453), after which a number of Byzantine artists moved to China. It is therefore an original product of Chinese workshops, and it showcases the great technological and artistic advancements of Ming Dynasty China.