A MONUMENTAL (59 CM, 104 KG) LIMESTONE HEAD OF BUDDHA, PROBABLY TIANLONGSHAN GROTTOES, NORTHERN QI-TANG DYNASTY

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A MONUMENTAL (59 CM, 104 KG) LIMESTONE HEAD OF BUDDHA, PROBABLY TIANLONGSHAN GROTTOES, NORTHERN QI-TANG DYNASTY Expert’s note: It is exceptionally rare to find a large head of this type, which originally belonged to a figure of approximately 2-3 meters in height depending on the pose. Besides its towering size, the head is further distinguished from most other examples in its crisply carved features and strikingly abstract hairstyle, which closely correspond with the sculpture of the Buddhist cave-temples of Tianlongshan, or Heavenly Dragon Mountain, carved primarily during the Northern Qi and Tang dynasties. For an early example of this type, see a related smaller limestone head of Buddha dated to the late Northern Qi dynasty at Sotheby’s New York, The Arts of the Buddha, 22 September 2005, lot 21. China, 6th-8th century. Finely carved, the square face with sinuous eyelids below elegant high-arched brows issuing from the nose, with full lips above a round chin, fleshy cheeks, and thick round neck, flanked by elongated earlobes. The hair tapering towards the pointy ushnisha, and delineated in symmetrical whorls, with three spiraling whorls above the forehead. Dimensions: Height 59 cm The Tianlongshan Grottoes are cave-temples carved primarily between the 6th and 8th centuries that remained largely intact until the early 20th century, when numerous sculptures were removed and dispersed onto the international art market. By 1918 the site had already attracted international attention, and photographs from the 1920s document the caves after substantial removals had taken place. Subsequent scholarship and digital reconstruction projects have demonstrated that many surviving heads and sculptural fragments now held in Western and Japanese collections originated from Tianlongshan and entered the market through early 20th-century dealer networks, most notably that of Sadajirō Yamanaka—explaining why works from this group continue to appear in Western auctions today. Literature comparison: Compare a related sandstone head of a Bodhisattva, from Tianlongshan Cave 16, dated 8th century, 33 cm tall, in the British Museum, museum number 1937,1013.4. Compare a related sandstone head of Buddha, from Tianlongshan Cave 18, dated 8th century, in the Tokyo National Museum, collection reference number TC-92. Compare a related figure of the seated Buddha from the Tianlongshan Caves, dated early 8th century, 109.5 cm tall, in the Harvard Art Museums, object number 1943.53.22. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s New York, 22 September 2023, lot 925 Price: USD 88,200 or approx. EUR 82,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related modeling and manner of carving with similar whorled hairstyle. Note the much smaller size (40 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 23 March 2011, lot 689 Price: USD 518,500 or approx. EUR 670,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related modeling and manner of carving with similar whorled hairstyle. Note the much larger size (107 cm).

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