China, Kangxi period, 17th century, Important lacquered and gilded wood sculpture depicting Shakyamuni, also known as Siddhartha Gautama, recognized as the founding Buddha of Buddhism, seated in dhyanasana, hands in dharmacakra-mudrā, dressed in a monastic drapery delicately and elegantly covering one shoulder and the lower part of his body. His face, with half-closed eyes and a slight smile, expresses serenity and compassion. The long, stretched ears, listening to the world with pierced lobes, symbolizing humility and renunciation of material possessions. The head, adorned with spiral spikes, is the deity's headdress and ushnisha. H. 68 cm L. 52 cm The reverse of the sculpture in red lacquer. Traces of polychromy. Provenance: French family from southwest France, in the family since the 1950s. N.B. This Buddha is in the style of the Tibetan sculptures much appreciated by the Mongols. These sculptures are in keeping with the Buddhist style of Rehol, a place frequented by the chiefs of the Mongol tribes invited by the Kangxi emperor for the sake of political unity. Here, gold-lacquered sculpture tends to imitate gilded bronze. Qianlong's infatuation with Tibet was reflected in his desire to recreate the Lhasa Potala in Chengde (Putuo Zongcheng Temple).