Lot 104
East Asia, China, Northern Wei or Northern Qi Dynasty, ca. 500 to 577 CE. A beautiful devotional example of the Boddhisattva Avalokiteshvara standing barefoot atop a lotus-shaped platform above an integral rectangular base. Hand-carved from creamy honey-yellow alabaster, Avalokiteshvara presents with dignified form while wearing flowing robes with lengthy sleeves and sashes, a loosely tied belt sash, and a diadem bearing ribbons that drape down over rounded shoulders. The protruding face exhibits a sensitive visage of slit-form eyes, a nearly flush nose, a petite mouth, and the bangs of the backswept coiffure above the tall forehead. Avalokiteshvara holds a rounded flower bud in the right hand while the left hand is placed elegantly atop one hip, and behind the figure is a peaked, almond-shaped mandorla. An illegible Chinese inscription on the verso of the base is perhaps a dedicatory statement for whomever received this attractive sculpture. Size: 2.6" L x 5.125" W x 10.9" H (6.6 cm x 13 cm x 27.7 cm)
The Wei Dynasty represents the beginning of Buddhist influence on Chinese art. It was made in a region of China that had a great deal of contact with the outside world and was ruled by foreign monarchs. After the Wei Dynasty ended, Buddhist art continued to flourish throughout the Sui Dynasty and into the Tang, when it achieved a golden age. This was also an economic golden age in China, when imperial control of oases along the Silk Road allowed both the export of Chinese goods and the import of people and ideas from places like India, Persia, and even further afield. The capital city, Changan (modern day Xian) had 2 million inhabitants, making it one of the largest cities in the world at the time, and there was a large class of literati and artisans supported by the government who lived there. This artisan class had the luxury to produce beautiful sculptures like this one.
A painted example from the Northern Qi Dynasty of a larger size with 2 Avalokiteshvaras hammered for $250,000 at Sotheby's, New York "Junkunc: Arts Of Ancient China" auction (sale number N10030, March 19, 2019, lot 125)
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, 1995 to 2010; ex-Lempertz Auction, Germany, 1980s
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#170951
- Condition: Repair to mandorla and corresponding areas of Buddha's head and neck from 2 large pieces, with resurfacing and overpainting along break lines and with restoration along areas of Buddha's neck and mandible along obverse; small loss behind 1 repaired area. Small loss to upper tip of mandorla, area of left arm, and lower corners of base. Softening to some finer details, with orange-hued soil accrued within incised some details, and extensive fading to Chinese characters inscribed behind base to the point of illegibility, and light encrustations. Great preservation to overall form and details of Buddha. Old inventory label on verso of base.
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| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $299 | $25 |
| $300 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $19,999 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $49,999 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $20,000 |