A RARE LIMESTONE 'XIANGTANGSHAN' RELIEF FRAGMENT OF A FLYING ASPARA NORTHERN QI DYNASTY

the grey limestone fragment with traces of a white-ground layer, carved in raised relief with a flying aspara strumming a large pear-shaped pipa, the left arm under the neck and the hand fretting the notes along the neck of the lute, her curved body effortlessly floating in mid-air with legs slightly spread and the left knee raised, dressed in a long flowing robe draping in pleated folds between the legs and fluttering toward the sky, her face with small delicate features framed by a high topknot and a billowing scarf draped around the arms and arching above her head, all against a large swirling cloud, wood stand

Acquired between the 1950s and 60s.

The truncated fragment has no apparent recent damages or restorations.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Figures of apsaras descending to scatter flowers or to play heavenly music upon various instruments were used to enliven and animate votive altars, Buddhist triad groups and cave niches since the main registers of the Buddha with attendant bodhisattvas and luohan were strictly controlled in their depiction and iconography by source texts and sutras. In contrast, the depiction of the peripheral elements in sculptures of various media and cave paintings was seized upon by artisans to show their prowess and experiment with the boundaries of pictorial convention. The present figure is carved to appear angelic and graceful, with her body depicted in a subtle movement as is characteristic of the sculptural work seen at the Buddhist cave temples at Xiangtangshan in southern Hebei province. The present relief carving is especially impressive for its strong three-dimensional quality which stands out from the more conventional execution generally done in low relief.

See a related carving of an apsara from the collections of Mrs. Mary Cohen and J.T. Tai, and included in the International Exhibition of Chinese Art, The Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1935, cat. no. 2395, last sold in these rooms, 29th April 1997, lot 711. Another comparable apsara figure, from the collection of C.T. Loo and attributed to the southern Xiantangshan caves, is illustrated in Osvald Sirén, Kinas Konst under Tre Artusenden, vol. 1, Stockholm, 1942, pl. 287; and one, from the northern caves at Xiangtangshan was included in the exhibition Chinese Buddhist Stone Sculpture. Veneration of the Sublime, Osaka Municipal Museum of Art, Osaka, 1995, cat. no. 43. Compare another relief carving of an apsara playing the pipa illustrated in Rokuchō no bijustu, Osaka, 1976, pl. 226, together with a flying apsara, pl. 225; and a further example of an apsara playing the flute published in Xiangtangshan shiku [Xiangtangshan grottoes], Beijing, 2003, pl. 75.