TWO COPPER ALLOY FIGURES OF MAITREYA AND A BODHISATTVA QING, PALA REVIVAL STYLE, 18TH AND 19TH CENTURYTWO COPPER ALLOY FIGURES OF MAITREYA AND A BODHISATTVAQING, PALA REVIVAL STYLE, 18TH AND 19TH CENTURY A four-character mark along the bodhisattva's lotus base reads, 'Qianlong jing zhuang,' translated, 'Respectfully consecrated during the Qianlong reign.' Himalayan Art Resources item no. 4716 Maitreya: 16.5 cm (6 1/2 in.) high; Bodhisattva: 17 cm (6 5/8 in.) high清 帕拉復興風格 十八及十九世紀 二菩薩銅像 一為彌勒菩薩With a kundika by his left shoulder, the first figure depicts Maitreya, who is worshiped as both a bodhisattva of the present, and the Buddha of the Future. The second figure holds two lotuses that blossom by each of his shoulders, one supporting a ghanta, while the other would have likely supported a vajra (now missing). It is difficult to identify the figure by these two attributes alone, but they are most commonly associated with standing forms of Vajrasattva and Vajrapani. These two Late Qing bronzes emulate the medieval Pala style of Northeastern India. Originals were first introduced to China through exchanges between Tibetan monasteries and the Yuan court (1279-1368). By the 18th century, the Qing Palace Collection had assembled a significant holding of examples to draw from. Their tall chignons, large earrings, diaphanous dhoti, and lotus bases are clearly influenced by the Pala tradition. See a Qing dynasty Manjushri in the Pala revival style sold at Bonhams, New York, 17 September 2014, lot 53.Provenance:Private French collection, acquired in Paris, circa 1980