A VERY RARE POTTERY FIGURE OF AVALOKITESHVARA, NORTHERN QI DYNASTY

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A VERY RARE POTTERY FIGURE OF AVALOKITESHVARA, NORTHERN QI DYNASTY Scientific Analysis Report: A thermoluminescence analysis report issued by Oxford Authentication on 25 August 2026, based on sample no. C126m8, estimates the date of last firing to between 900 and 1,500 years ago. At the time of testing, the figure was presumed to date to the Tang dynasty, as stated in the report. This attribution has since been revised; see catalogue entry. Both samples yielded similar results, consistent with the suggested Northern Qi dynasty date. Expert’s note The present lot belongs to an exceptionally rare group of Buddhist pottery sculptures from the Northern Qi dynasty. Images of bodhisattvas are far more commonly preserved in stone, while only a very small number of comparable pottery figures have survived. The museum and auction comparisons cited below attest to both the scarcity of the medium and the exceptional importance of the present example. China, 550-577. Well modeled standing in samabhanga atop a lotus pedestal raised on a rectangular plinth, clad in a long, loose-fitting dhoti secured at the waist and falling in softly delineated folds to the feet, a shawl draped over the shoulders, and richly adorned beaded jewelry. The right hand is raised before the chest holding a lotus flower, while the left hand is lowered. The oval face is sensitively rendered in a serene expression with heavy-lidded eyes beneath elegantly arched brows, his bow-shaped lips pursed into a subtle smile, framed by elongated ears and long tresses descending from a high chignon, backed by a beaded circular halo and tall ogee mandorla. Dimensions: Height 37.5 cm With a fitted silk box. (2) Buddhism flourished during the Northern Qi dynasty, which saw a great increase in the production of statues and a proliferation of styles. The Qi aristocracy, headed by a military class of nomadic origin, was not only hostile to Chinese influence, but it also had a predilection for the foreign and exotic, especially in art. Hence, a style influenced by the Gupta art of India acquired pre-eminence soon after the Northern Qi dynasty came to power. Northern Qi figures are generally clad in thin, clinging robes, with an emphasis on portraying the solidity of the body rather than decorative drapery, which was characteristic of figures during the preceding Wei dynasty. This emphasis on the body went hand in hand with increased three-dimensionality. Thus, while Wei dynasty Buddhist figures form a relief with their body nimbuses, Northern Qi sculptures often stand free of their backgrounds. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related pottery figure of Avalokitesvara, dated by inscription to 563 AD, in the Museum of East Asian Art, Bath, record number BATEA:22. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 23 September 2020, lot 597 Mid-Estimate: USD 7,000 or approx. EUR 8,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the identical material, the similar modeling and subject. Note the much smaller size (15.9 cm), and the significant losses to feet and base.

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