A SANDSTONE SEATED BUDDHA NORTHERN WEI DYNASTY

carved seated in dhyanasana on a rectangular base, his hands held in dhyanamudra, wearing a plain monastic robe draped over his left shoulder leaving the torso bare and falling in even and crisps folds over his left arm and knees, the end of a long sash laid over his right ankle, his face bearing a benevolent expression with bow-shaped eyes and a plump mouth below a broad nose, all framed by long pendulous earlobes and smooth hair covering the ushnisha, all against a pointed mandorla edged with flames and framed by a border of dhyani Buddhas seated in alcoves carved in relief around the central halo, the plain rectangular base with an incised line border, the stone of pale reddish-grey colour

Acquired between the 1950s and 60s.

The piece were probably positioned originally in an architectural niche. The rear left corner of the base has been truncated when the piece was removed. Its present overall condition is in keeping with age with expected pitting and weathering to the stone as visible on the photo. There appear to be no 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."

The present Buddha figure, with its linear style of carving, would seem to be amongst the earliest sculptures known from the Northern Wei period. Buddhas with mandorla with incised and outlined decoration were made around the mid-fifth century when independent objects of worship in stone began to be produced in China on a regular basis. See Angela Falco Howard, ‘From Han to the Southern Song’, in Angela Falco Howard et al., Chinese Sculpture, New Haven and London, 2006, p. 230, for more information of the history of Northern Wei period sculptural developments in stone.

A comparable Buddha figure, dated to 472, from the collection of C.K. Chan, New York, was included in the exhibition Chinese Buddhist Sculpture from the Wei through the T’ang Dynasties, National Museum of History, Taipei, 1983, pp. 90-1, cat. no. 1, where it is noted that the figure represents a type that was very popular during the second half of the fifth century. Compare also a slightly earlier and much simpler carving of a seated Buddha with similar facial features to the present example, included in the exhibition Buddhist Stone Carvings in the Northern Dynasties, National Museum of History, Taipei, 1997, cat. no. 1.