Page 56 - Bonhams Fine Chinese Art London Nov. 2019

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A VERY RARE LIMESTONE BUST OF THE BUDDHA
Northern Qi Dynasty
Expertly carved with serene face, the eyes down-cast in meditation,
the body slightly elongated and wearing a close-fitting robe defined by
shallowly-incised incision lines, the stone with traces of red pigment,
malachite and gold remainings, the curls of the hair with traces of lapis
lazuli, stand.
56cm (22in) high (2).

£50,000 - 80,000
CNY440,000 - 710,000

北齊 石雕佛像

Provenance: Jonathan Tucker Antonia Tozer Asian Art, London,
20 January 2003
John J. Studzinski CBE, London

來源：倫敦古董商，Jonathan Tucker Antonia Tozer Asian Art，
2003年1月20日
大英帝國司令勳章受勳者John J. Studzinski珍藏

Elegantly rendered in deep meditation, its features defined by Historical Buddha, Lord of the Universe.) For a detailed discussion
long and arched eyebrows merging into a straight nose, between see Zhang Zong, ‘The Qingzhou Region: A Centre of Buddhist Art
elongated downcast eyes and full bud lips set in a serious, slightly in the 6th Century’ in L.Nickel, Return of the Buddha: The Qingzhou
smiling expression, the present figure is one of the finest examples Discoveries, London, 2002, pp.49-53. See also Wang Huaqing, ed.,
of the highest standards achieved in the sculpting tradition of the The Art of Buddhist Statuary at Longxing, Jinan, 1999, pp.110-122.
Northern Qi dynasty.
Buddhism flourished during the Northern Qi dynasty and the Qi
The sculpture is remarkably close in style to a small group of 6th aristocracts, headed by a military class of nomadic origin, were
century Buddhist figures discovered at the Longxing Temple in receptive to foreign influences, especially in art. Hence, a style
Qingzhou, Shandong Province, and probably originated from the same influenced by the Gupta art of India, noted in the long and arched
area. The thin robes emphasising the slender body of the figure are eyebrows and the clinging robes worn by the present figure, acquired
very similar to those noted on the Qingzhou examples, as is the use of pre-eminence soon after the Northern Qi dynasty came to power.
coloured pigments particularly the gold to cover the skin and sapphire
blue to depict the curly hair, in accordance with the established canon Compare with a related limestone figure of a standing Buddha,
of Buddha images. Northern Qi dynasty, illustrated in Return of the Buddha: The Qingzhou
Discoveries, London, 2002, pp.104-105, no.14. Compare also with a
The figures discovered at Qingzhou were usually depicted wearing related bust of a limestone standing figure of the Buddha, Northern Qi,
patchwork robes painted in red and green pigments, and have been illustrated in Masterpieces of Buddhist Statuary from Qingzhoy City,
identified as personifying either Vairocana, (the main Buddha of the Beijing, 1999, p.102.
Flower Garland Sutra, Huayan Jing 華厳経, or Shakyamuni, the

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
54 | BONHAMS please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.