BRONZE SEATED BUDDHA MING DYNASTY, DATED TO 1573AD 明 '萬曆元年十月內郭普軻劉妙蓮'刻款 銅胎髹漆座佛 cast seated in dhyanasana on a lotus throne, hands in dhyana mudra, wears a robe with floral hems falling in naturalistic folds around the arms and legs and open at the chest, the face has a serene expression with eyes downcast, with elongated ears, the hair is dressed in curls surrounding the ushnisha, the back of the lotus throne engraved with twelve characters, meaning 'October of the first year during the Wanli reign, (donated by) Guo Puke (and) Liu Miaolian' (21cm high; 1844g) Qty: (1) Provenance: Private Taiwanese collection Note: Since the early stage when Buddism entered China and bronze votive figures were being produced, it was not uncommon to dedicate secular donors' names, or the makers, or at times the makers were the donors, to religious figures. This would help gain merit in return for good karma for the named individuals. Compare to a rare inscribed gilt-bronze figure of Avalokitesvara, Sui dynasty, made and donated by the 'disciple Ruen Ci', sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 30 November 2022, lot 41. Some figures bore combinations of inscriptions revealing the name of the donor, date, maker, location of the figure being made, and location or temple it would be presented. In the current example of a bronze Buddha, the inscriptions show two donors, seemingly one male (Guo Puke) and the other female (Liu Miaolian). The remaining inscriptions entail a date, either the date the piece was made or the date being devoted. It is in October of the first year during the Wanli reign, corresponding to 1573AD. Also compare to a very rare gilt-bronze figure of Avalokitesvara, Ming dynasty, Xuande period, dated to 1435AD, inscribed with the donor's name Huang Fu, sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 07 April 2011, lot 2839. Another related example of a massive stone carving Buddha, dated by inscription to the 21st year of the Jiajing reign corresponding to 1542AD, was offered in Bonhams, 7 November 2019, lot54.