Northern Wei Thousand-Buddha Stone Stele Carved with Shakyamuni and Maitreya Statues, Northern Wei Dynasty (5th–6th Century), Buddhist Stone Sculpture - Circulated in Bangkok

拍品描述

Overall height 86 cm (33.86 inches), maximum width at arched top 39 cm (15.35 inches), Northern Wei periodAmerican English: This Northern Wei thousand-buddha stone stele represents the quintessential stone Buddhist carving style of ancient Northern China, featuring a smooth arched top and rigid symmetrical composition across the entire slab. The front surface is fully covered in square grid niches, each housing a shallow relief miniature Buddha seated in full lotus meditation pose. The dense layout of thousands of tiny buddhas symbolizes the infinite Buddhas across all directions of the Buddhist cosmos, an extremely popular devotional carving format commissioned by lay worshippers during Northern Wei reign. Two major recessed niches are carved vertically at the center of the stele. The upper niche enshrines Shakyamuni Buddha seated in full lotus, hands resting in dhyana mudra atop his lap. His wide layered monastic robes fall in soft natural folds, paired with a gentle rounded facial structure and mild serene facial features, perfectly capturing the aesthetic standard of Northern Wei Buddhist sculpture dating from Taihe to Zhenguang reign eras. The lower central niche holds a cross-ankle Maitreya Bodhisattva. The bodhisattva wears an ornate crown with flowing silk scarves draped over shoulders, seated in the classic cross-legged Maitreya posture, right hand raised in abhaya mudra to grant fearlessness. Two standing attendant bodhisattvas flank him on each side, with guardian mythical beasts carved at the base of the niche. The narrow side panel of the stele continues the thousand-buddha carving scheme, creating a fully decorated three-sided carving. The sculptor’s chisel work is bold, concise and powerful, with unrefined rugged lines characteristic of Northern Dynasties stone art. The stone surface carries a rich warm brown antique patina built over more than 1,500 years of natural weathering, yielding a smooth mellow texture. Buddhism flourished widely across Northern Wei China, and devotees would commission stone steles like this to donate to local temples as offerings for blessings and protection. This stele unites a complete iconographic program: thousand attendant buddhas, Shakyamuni historical Buddha, Maitreya future Buddha, attendant bodhisattvas and guardian beasts. Three-sided intact thousand-buddha steles of this quality are extremely scarce on the antique market. It carries immense historical, archaeological and artistic value for collectors of early Chinese Buddhist stone sculpture.

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