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20 Nagasena is considered an important Buddhist sage of the 2 nd century BCE. According to legend, he answered innumerable questions posed by the Hellenistic king Menandros (reigned ca. 160–130 Preview of the Asian Art auction on 30 November 2021 Clean ears for the truth BCE) in such a vivid and convincing manner that the king converted to Buddhism. A polychrome Chinese stoneware figure featured in our Asian Art auction (ill. 4) depicts Nagasena as a Buddhist monk cleaning his ear. He does this to keep his ear canal open to the truth and to prevent himself from believing lies and rumours. Nagasena traditionally belongs to the 18 luohans , a group of enlightened beings in Mahayana Buddhism. This rare and expressive figure was created during the late Song or early Ming Dynasty (13 th /14 th century). The Acuoye Guanyin, who brings luck and helps those in distress (ill. 2), has a special provenance. This figure corresponds to a rare type of Avalokiteshvara which only existed in the former kingdom of Dali, in today’s Chinese province of Yunnan. It was brought to Europe by Marie Pierre Isle de Beauchaine, who was born in Orléans in 1881 and died in Hanoi in 1934. After run- ning away fromboarding school in France while a teen- ager, he went to live with a relative in Tonkin, Vietnam. In Hanoi he became a customs officer, travelled ex- tensively, and took part in archaeological expeditions in northern Laos. During those years he also became friends with the penultimate Vietnamese emperor, Khai Dinh, who was himself a Buddhist. Comparable representations of the Acuoye Guanyin from the 12 th century can be found today in the British Museum in London, the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Denver Art Museum, the Musée Guimet in Paris, as well as in the Yunnan Provincial Museum in Kunming. A bronze from Pra Kon Chai in the eastern Thai province of Buriram (ill. 1) also represents the deity Avalokiteshvara, but in an early version from the 8 th century, very rarely found in this size. Another excel- lent Buddhist work in the auction is a mandala thangka from southern Tibet, 15 th century (ill. 3), whose intri- cate composition combined with its vibrant colouring in green, red and yellow forms a harmonious whole. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ASIAN ART Regi Preiswerk preiswerk@kollerauctions.com ONLINE CATALOGUES www.kollerauctions.com 1 A valokiteshvara, Bronze. Thailand, Pra Kon Chai, circa 8 th c. H 49.5 cm. Estimate: CHF 80 000/120 000 2 A cuoye Guanyin, Bronze. China, Dali Kingdom, 12 th c. H 33 cm. Estimate: CHF 100 000/150 000 3 T hangka: Mandala of Amitayus. South Tibet, 15 th c. 62 × 55 cm. Estimate: CHF 30 000/50 000 4 N agasena, polychrome-painted stoneware. China, 13 th /14 th c. H 44.5 cm. Estimate: CHF 100 000/150 000 1 2 3