Page 125 - Chinese works of art and paintings, March 19 Bonhams

8160
A LIMESTONE HEAD OF BUDDHA
Northern Qi/Sui Dynasty
With a serene demeanor, the eyes downcast
with a straight nose, the small mouth holding
a gentle smile, the hair carved in tight curls
rising over the usnisa, with traces of pigment.
14 1/2in (37cm) high
$35,000 - 45,000

北齊/隋 石灰石雕佛首像
Provenance
Christie’s New York, 22 March 2007 lot 223
The estate of Christian Fischbacher
J.T. Tai, New York, 1974

This strongly and sensitively modeled
limestone head finds its parallels in
sculpture published in Shandong Qingzhou
Longxing ci chutu New Discoveries from
Qingzhou, Shandong Province, no. 18,
and in the Metropolitan Museum, illustrated
in Zhongguo liushi haiwai fojiao saoxiang
zonghe tumu, vol 3. Beijing, 2005, page
492, both dated to the Northern Qi. See
also a Northern Qi example published in The
Art of Contemplation - Religious Sculpture
from Private Collections, The National
Palace Museum. Taipei, 1997, no. 40 and
a limestone buddha, dated to Eastern Wei/
Northern Qi, published in Eskenazi, Chinese
Sculpture, c. 500 - 1500. November 2014,
no. 8.