Tang Dynasty Bluestone Relief Stone Slab Carved with Flying Apsaras and Musicians,7th Century Chinese Buddhist Stone Carving

拍品描述

Dimensions:Length 89.5cm(35.24in),Height 47cm(18.50in),7th century Tang Dynasty stone relief artworkCondition & Provenance:The entire bluestone slab remains intact without splits or major missing sections.Only minor natural weathering appears along the four slab edges.The front relief figures,flowing scarves and sacred bird patterns retain full three-dimensional depth;the facial features,robe folds and musical instruments of musician figures stay distinct and sharp.The central dancing celestial guardian figure maintains complete smooth body lines.The back side of the stone preserves original hand-chiseled carving marks from ancient craftsmen with no modern grinding,cutting or repair work.The natural aged stone patina evenly covers the whole surface with no artificial chemical aging treatment.This stone slab was formerly part of a private ancient Asian stone carving collection based in Philadelphia,Pennsylvania.The collector acquired this Tang relief from a Beijing antique gallery in 2016.Large intact Tang stone slabs featuring music-playing celestial figures are extremely rare;most excavated temple slabs of this type are heavily damaged,so this fully preserved specimen holds outstanding museum-grade collectible value.Description:This high-relief bluestone slab was unearthed from an ancient Tang Buddhist temple site,fully carved in deep relief with a balanced symmetrical composition centered on a dynamic dancing celestial guardian flanked by rows of seated Buddhist musician figures on both sides.Four seated musicians rest on swirling cloud scrolls to the left,each holding a classical ancient instrument including pipa,pan flute,transverse flute and sheng.The figures feature full rounded facial features characteristic of classic Tang aesthetic,soft curved folds define their kasaya robes,and spiraling cloud ribbons drift elegantly to create a light,ethereal atmosphere.At the exact center stands a powerful dancing celestial guardian with one foot resting on cloud scrolls and twisted torso,a waist drum strapped to his hip for performance.His head is topped with an ornate high hair ornament,muscular body lines carry strong dynamic tension,and multiple layers of long swirling ribbons wrap around his frame.A sacred winged bird is carved beside the guardian with fully detailed plumage.On the right side,another four seated monks hold vertical flutes,wind pipes,panpipes and konghou harps,forming perfect visual symmetry with the left musician group.The slab’s reverse side bears the original diagonal parallel chisel marks hand-cut by Tang stone artisans,a standard processing technique of the era.The carving craftsmanship is highly mature with distinct depth layers of relief,fully capturing the grand,romantic artistic aesthetic of prosperous Tang Buddhist art.This stone relief integrates music,dance,Buddhist iconography and auspicious cloud motifs,faithfully recreating the magnificent ceremonial music scene of Tang imperial temples.It ranks as a top-tier intact Tang stone carving treasure,perfect for museum exhibition and high-end oriental interior display,with profound research value for archaeology,art history and religious culture.

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