Page 43 - Sotheby's Hong Kong Important Chinese Works of Art, Oct. 9, 2022

typically show seated or standing Buddhas flanked by two 此尊菩薩面容端麗，眉目舒展，冠飾恬雅，華衣楚
bodhisattvas. Besides these massive stone carvings in cave 楚，帔帛寬綽，飄帶交結，皆精工細作而軼群出塵。
temples, many free-standing steles, also often with two such 淺浮雕之技法、甚少著墨衣下之身形，此為北齊典型
bodhisattva figures on either side of a central Buddha statue,
were commissioned in that century, which followed the 風格。儘管許多佛教石雕造像風格於北魏、東魏時期
artistic language introduced by these grand Buddhist cave 已然成形，然各地工匠亦會衍伸出各自特有風格。
sculpture projects, which exerted an overwhelming influence
on Chinese sculpture of the period in general. 本像通體呈淺浮雕，惟雙手作高浮雕處理。此風格與
This majestic bodhisattva stands out because of its fine, 鞏縣多尊脅侍菩薩相似。縱使細節各異，然衣著、背
even facial features and the attention paid to its elegant, 光、髮型、寶冠均見相類之處，冠成蓮瓣形、以圓盤
decoratively stylised crown and garment with loose scarves 狀珠璣為飾。比鞏縣石窟1號窟北牆一北魏菩薩像作
and knotted ribbons. The low-relief carving style and almost 例，帔帛帶相交穿於環扣，惟小腿處裙褶更顯繁複，
complete disregard for the shape of the body under the
garments are characteristics of the Northern Qi period. 圖載於《鞏縣石窟寺》，北京，1963年，圖版69；亦
Although many features were introduced to Buddhist stone 載《中國石窟・鞏縣石窟寺》，北京，1989年，圖版
carving in the preceding Northern and Eastern Wei (534- 69，及頁209，圖13-1至13-5，書中將其與1號窟其餘
550) periods, stylistic variants would naturally have been 牆龕及其他石窟相關造像作比較；另見《鞏縣石窟》
introduced by locally working sculptors.
，北京，2005年，頁24，圖36及頁33，圖55。
In its overall shallow relief treatment of the body, with only
the hands protruding in higher relief, this figure shows 龍門石窟也見有同類菩薩像，衣冠皆似，但衣褶更風
similarities to many bodhisattvas that flank Buddhas at
Gongxian, which are depicted with similarly parted hair, 格化，見普泰洞北牆造像，屬北魏時期，錄於《龍門
rudimentarily indicated under similar crowns decorated with 石窟》，北京，1980年，圖版105。
lotus petals and circular jewel-like discs, with similar neck
ornaments, garments, and mandorlas behind the heads. 本像面容線條俐落，杏眼微合。紐約大都會藝術
Compare, for example, a Northern Wei Bodhisattva figure 博物館藏彩繪石灰岩雕北齊菩薩頭像（藏品編號
from the north wall of cave 1 of the Gongxian cave complex, 51.52），面相與此接近，信乃出自河北省北響堂
with scarves are similarly crossed through a disc, illustrated
in Gongxian shikusi [Cave temples of Gongxian], Beijing, 山。尚可比較波士頓美術館藏碩大的東魏菩薩坐像，
1963, pl. 69; in Zhongguo shiku. Gongxian shikusi [Chinese 藏品編號13.2804。還有東京國立博物館藏東魏觀音菩
caves. Gongxian cave temples], Beijing, 1989, pl. 69, and 薩立像，衣褶更風格化，藏品編號TC-376。
p. 209, figs 13-1 to 13-5, where it is compared with related
figures from other walls in cave 1 and from other caves; and 同類佛像，拍賣場上偶見，如一尊北齊彩繪石灰岩雕
in Gongxian shiku [Cave temples of Gongxian], Beijing, 2005,
p. 24, fig. 36, and p. 33, fig. 55. 菩薩立像，尺寸與此相似，同具背光，惟衣帶交疊膝
上，並沒有穿環，乃藤井善助、京都有鄰館及靜雅堂
Related bodhisattva figures, with similar crowns and
garments, but also with more stylised garment folds, can 遞藏，2018年3月20日經紐約蘇富比拍出，編號203。
also be seen in the Longmen caves, for example, on the
north wall of the Putai cave, which dates from the Northern
Wei period, see Longmen shiku [Longmen caves], Beijing,
1980, pl. 105.
The sharply delineated features of the face with its narrow,
almond-shaped eyes are reminiscent of a Northern Qi
polychrome limestone head of a bodhisattva presumably
from Northern Xiangtangshan, Hebei, and now in the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, accession no. 51.52.
Compare also a large seated Eastern Wei bodhisattva figure
in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, accession no. 13.2804;
and a related free-standing Avalokitesvara figure of the
Eastern Wei period, but with more stylised garment folds, in
the Tokyo National Museum, accession no. TC-376.
Comparable examples have been sold at auctions. For
example, a polychrome limestone bodhisattva figure of this
size and adorned with a similar mandorla, but with long
scarves hanging down in two loose overlapping loops in front
of the knees, formerly in the collections of Fujii Zensuke,
Yurinkan Museum in Kyoto, and Jingyatang, was sold in our
New York rooms, 20th March 2018, lot 203.

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