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The contemporaneous Dali (957-1253) and Liao

(916-1125) kingdoms both promoted Buddhism. They
made sculptures in the style that descended from the
Tang Dynasty (618-907). As a result, Liao and Dali
sculptures are closely related in style and general
appearance. In fact, previously, the very rare Dali
sculptures were often mistaken for the more commonly
seen Liao sculptures (see for a Liao example, lot
49). Buddha images from the Dali kingdom show
heads that are relatively large in proportion to their
shoulders and a low cranial protuberance that are
often embellished with a ratna at the front, as this
sacred image demonstrates.
The half-closed eyes look directly outward - in
contrast to the large heavily lidded eyes of Tang and
Liao sculptures, pointing to this sculpture’s origins in
the Dali kingdom. The current Buddha’s monastic robe
crosses both shoulders and descends to the abdomen.
Its edge folds into an undulating curvy confguration,
characteristic of Buddha images from the Dali
Kingdom. A last feature of Dali Buddha examples is
the armlet decoration on the right upper arm.
The Buddha is very similar in style to an example in the
Shanghai Museum, which bears an inscription dating
it to the mid 12th century. The resemblance to the
Shanghai sculpture suggests a 12th to 13th century
date for this magnifcent Buddha.
A comparable fne example was sold in Christie's, New
York, 20 March 2014, lot 1611.

76 ART D'ASIE · 14 DÉCEMBRE 2016