Lot 81
East Asia, China, Song to Ming Dynasty, ca. 1127 to 1368 CE. A gorgeous fragmentary head of Buddha carved from marble with a wide neck line, a smooth head, and a tapered coiffure. Buddha's serene countenance is defined by slender, almond-shaped eyes beneath thin brows, a slender nose with delineated nostrils, thin lips with an indented philtrum, tall ears with lengthy lobes, and a smooth forehead, all beneath a tapered coiffure with a bulbous ushnisha. Traces of white and pink-red pigment are visible in scattered areas across the composition and suggest this head was at one time presented with vivid pigmentation. A lovely example of Chinese religious artistry! Size: 4.625" W x 8.7" H (11.7 cm x 22.1 cm); 9.1" H (23.1 cm) on included custom stand.
The head of the Buddha is perhaps the most significant element of the deity as it represents the immense body of knowledge and wisdom of Buddha along with the tranquil nature that emanates from its expression. A peaceful countenance with a flame Ushnisha symbolizing the wisdom and knowledge acquired after attaining enlightenment, and prominent elongated ears, a physical feature symbolic of the Buddha's time as a prince when he wore elaborate ear ornaments to demonstrate wealth and prosperity. Of course, the prince stopped wearing them when he left the palace to become an ascetic; however, his earlobes remained stretched signifying a renunciation of the material world.
Provenance: ex-Haig's of Rochester, Rochester, Michigan, USA
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#148956
- Condition: This is a fragment of a larger marble sculpture. Losses to areas of ushnisha, ears, neck, and shoulders, with softening to some finer details, light encrustations, and fading to original pigmentation. Nice earthen deposits throughout.
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