Painted and Gilded White Marble Bodhisattva Head,Northern Qi‑Sui Dynasty,6th‑7th Century

拍品描述

Dimensions:Height 37 cm (14.57 in),Width 20 cm (7.87 in),Northern Qi‑Sui Dynasty,6th‑7th CenturyCondition & Provenance:The bodhisattva head survives as a torso‑less fragment,broken cleanly at the neck base for museum‑style display on modern custom‑made metal stand.Original polychromy and gilding are largely preserved across the crown and facial features,with age‑related fading,surface craquelure and minor losses of pigment and gilding consistent with underground burial.The stone matrix displays natural marble veining and fine ancient surface cracks;no heavy modern repair,no over‑painted restoration.The elaborate high‑relief crown remains intact,including the central standing‑Buddha inset relief and floral‑ornament panels,only tiny chips present on delicate floral extremities.This marble bodhisattva head originates from an old private Bangkok collection specializing in Northern Chinese Buddhist stone sculpture.It was acquired in 2002 through a well‑established Thai‑Chinese antiquities dealer,and was kept in low‑light museum‑quality display environment for over two decades.Now released onto the market via private estate dispersal.description:This imposing white marble bodhisattva head is a superb example of high‑status Buddhist stone carving from the Northern Qi‑Sui transitional period.The facial modelling embodies the period’s serene aesthetic:heavy half‑lidded eyes with calm introspective gaze,finely incised arched eyebrows,subtle moustache and lip detail rendered in black mineral pigment,full rounded cheeks and softly contoured jawline.The elaborate multi‑component high‑relief crown is the focal point of the piece.The central cartouche holds a small carved standing Buddha relief set within gilded flame‑shaped mandorla,resting atop a polychromed lotus flower.The crown further consists of scrolling foliate ornaments,gilded petal panels and jewel‑form decorations highlighted with red mineral pigment.Traces of black paint survive for the hair beneath the headdress,while red painted band decorates the rear of the head.The white marble material is finely worked with smooth polished facial planes contrasting against the complex high‑relief carving of the crown.Polychrome and gilded finishes were integral to original devotional presentation.These large‑scale marble bodhisattva heads were once part of full‑size temple statuary groups.Due to historical destruction,complete full‑figure examples are scarce;well‑preserved heads retaining original paint and gilding are highly sought‑after by collectors of early Chinese Buddhist art.This object conveys the devotional spirituality,elegant stylistic vocabulary and consummate stone‑carving craftsmanship of medieval northern Chinese Buddhism.

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