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NORTHERN CHINA – Tang Dynasty (618–907).
See original version (French)
430
-
NORTHERN CHINA – Tang Dynasty (618–907).
See original version (French)
Estimate €5,000 - €8,000
Voluntary lot
Description
NORTHERN CHINA – Tang Dynasty (618–907). A rare head of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara (Guanyin)
The full, serene face is imbued with meditative solemnity. The heavy eyelids are half-closed beneath distinctly arched eyebrows that extend over the bridge of a straight nose. The small mouth, with full, delicately defined lips, forms a subtle smile enhanced by slight dimples. The deity’s hair is gathered into a high, twisted bun (ji), secured at the base of the forehead by a blooming floral rosette. The hair is meticulously sculpted at the back into undulating streaks converging towards the crown. The earlobes are elongated in accordance with Buddhist canons.
Veined black limestone, probably from the Longmen Grottoes
H. 26.5 cm (excluding plinth)
H. 42 cm (including plinth)
Provenance:
A French private collection assembled in the 19th century, housed in a château in the Périgord
Related works
Head of Bodhisattva, Tang dynasty (8th century), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York — Inventory No. 21.175.406
Head of a Bodhisattva, anonymous, 589–618, carved limestone, Musée Cernuschi, Paris - No. M.C. 9801
Christie’s, 14 September 2018, Property of a distinguished European collector, lots 1123 and 1124
Christie’s, 22 March 1999, Fine Chinese Ceramics, Paintings and Works of Art, lot 161 (bodhisattva torso)
Note:
The stocky yet harmonious contours of the face, the stylised design of the eyebrows and the graphic treatment of the spiralling locks at the back of the bun are directly linked to the monumental statuary of northern China (Henan and Shanxi provinces) during the Tang dynasty (618–907). The clean cut at the base of the section is consistent with the practice of removing and packaging sculpted fragments by Western dealers and collectors in the late 19th century.
The Longmen Grottoes (Henan province): this is the iconic site for this type of rock in northern China. Unlike the Yungang Grottoes (which are carved from crumbly yellow sandstone), the Longmen cliffs consist of a very dense, veined black/brown dolomitic limestone, capable of taking on a lustrous polish that is almost indistinguishable from black marble.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
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