A SANDSTONE RELIEF HEAD OF AN ATTENDANT SUI / TANG DYNASTY

possibly of Ananda or Kasyapa, the oval-shaped tonsured head with slender hooded eyes below arched brows, a straight nose, a bud mouth with full lips, and pendulous earlobes, portrayed in a benevolent expression accented by laugh lines framing the double chin, the grey sandstone with a white layer and traces of flesh-toned and vermillion pigments remaining, wood stand

Acquired between the 1950s and 60s.

The overall condition is consistent with age with surface wear and expected pitting in the sandstone. This is a wall fragment in its expected fragmentary condition as visible on the photo. The rear of the head and a section of the neck are truncated and there is surface wear and pitting consistent with age. There is otherwise no visible recent damages or chips. There are traces of an old flesh-toned pigment on the face and of a red pigment within the lips. The old wood stand is in good condition.
"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 fine head of a disciple, possibly Ananda or Kasyapa, represents the height of late sixth and early seventh century religious carving, when figures of this type were depicted with a fleshy serene face, half-open gentle eyes and full lips that express a kind benevolent smile. In the Buddhist pantheon Ananda represents understanding and wisdom while Kasyapa, who is foremost in asceticism, represents practice.

Two comparable attendant figures with similar facial features are illustrated in Osvald Sirén, Chinese Sculpture from the Fifth to the Fourteenth Century, vol. 1, New York, 1970, pls. 371 and 414, the former from the collection of Grenville Winthrop, New York, the latter from the Qianfodong (Thousand Buddha Caves) at Dunhuang in Jiangsu province and now in the Pelliot Collection, Louvre Museum. 

See a slightly earlier limestone head of an attendant, sold in our New York rooms, 12th September 2012, lot 117; and another head offered in our New York rooms, 20th March 2007, lot 738, from a Japanese private collection. Compare also a standing attendant figure illustrated in Osvald Sirén, Kinesiska och Japanska Skulpturer och Malningar, Nationalmuseum, Malmö, 1931, pl. 25; another, attributed to the Tang period, published in Osvald Sirén, Chinese Sculpture from the Fifth to the Fourteenth Century, vol. 3, New York, 1970, pl. 371b; a third sculpture of a disciple sold in our New York rooms, 11/12th September 2012, lot 115; and one included in Matsubara Saburō, Chūgoku bukkyō chōkoku shi kenkyū/Chinese Buddhist Sculpture, Tokyo, 1966, pl. 279.