A rare and important gilt bronze Tibetan Buddha blasted through its pre-sale estimate to finish at a staggering $200,000 in an online Fine Estates Auction recently held by Briggs Auction Inc. in Garnet Valley.
The piece, pulled from an estate on the Main Line, generated auction fever from almost the moment it was posted until the hammer came down. It was the most money ever paid for a single item at Briggs.
“What made this Buddha so special? It was right, and of exceptional quality,” said Stephen Turner, president and owner of Briggs. “The figure was unusually large at 13 inches tall, and very heavy. The underside of the statue bore a Yongle mark, which added to its historical significance. And the piece’s nearly excellent condition certainly added to its value.”
The Tibetan bronze seated Buddha on a carved 5-inch-tall stand showed a serene-faced figure wearing a draped robe, posed in quiet contemplation on a lotus base, making a graceful vitarka mudra with his right hand.
