A BRONZE FIGURE OF AVALOKITESHVARA SADAKSARI, JAVA9th-10th century. The four-armed deity seated in dhyanasana atop a lotus throne on a pierced and tiered square base, his primary hands forming the dharmachakra mudra, the upper left holding a fly-whisk and the upper right hand a conch, adorned with beaded jewelry, the face with downcast eyes and surmounted by a high tiara. The throne with a backrest flanked by two foliate protrusions.Provenance: Galleria La Balaustra, Archeologia Classica Orientale e Precolombiana, Bologna, Italy. Paolo Bertuzzi, acquired from the above (invoice lost). Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022) was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. He was the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashionpany with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother’s business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom.Condition: Conditionmensurate with age. Extensive wear, losses, signs of weathering and erosion, corrosion. Minor casting flaws. Naturally grown malachite-green patina with brown encrustations overall.Weight: 644.3 gDimensions: Height 12.4 cmAuction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 17 December 2021, lot 3019Price: HKD 30,240 or approx.EUR3,800 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A bronze figure of Buddha, Java, circa 10th centuryExpert remark: Note the smaller size (11.2 cm)Auction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie’s New York, 25 March 2004, lot 152Price: USD 28,680 or approx.EUR 45,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: An important bronze figure of Avalokiteshvara, Indonesia, Central Java, 9th centuryExpert remark: Note the larger size (20.2 cm)