A LIMESTONE HEAD OF GUANYIN CHINA, LIAO DYNASTY

finely carved with downcast eyes and heavy lids, beneath gently curved brows flanking the broad nose and small bud mouth, the protruding urna below symmetrical curls at the hairline, secured by a tall triple-leafed diadem tied by ribbons at the back of the head, centered with a figure of Amitabha seated on a lotus surrounded by a flaming mandorla, stand (2)

Sotheby's New York, 22nd September 2004, lot 28.

There are chips to the crown, most noticeable along the top edge and to the face of the buddha. There are also chips along the backs of the ears, urna and the brow. There is a loss to the chignon and both earlobes. There are areas of fill on both cheeks, the left temple, left eyelid, tip of the nose and lips. There maybe recarving to the top lip. There is a crack on the right side of the face near the hairline. The base of the neckline is jagged, which is not unusual for pieces of this type, and there are the expected signs of wear.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

A similar stone head is illustrated in Perceval Yetts, The George Eumorfopoulos Collection Catalogue of the Chinese and Corean Bronzes, Sculpture, Jades, Jewellery and Miscellaneous Objects, vol. 3, London, 1932, col. pl. LXXII; another from the J.T. Tai collection was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 29th April 1997, lot 708; and another example was sold in these rooms, 22nd September 2005, lot 38. A head in the Metropolitan Museum of Art with similar features but a more elaborate crown, is illustrated in Osvald Siren, Chinese Sculpture from the Fifth to Fourteenth Centuries, New York, 1925, vol. IV, pl. 563C.

In style, the features and headdress of the present lot relate to the painted clay sculptures of the Liao dynasty in Lower Huayansi in Datong, Shanxi province, which are dated in accordance with 1038. See Zhongguo meishu quanji: Wudai Song diaosu, Beijing, 1988, pls. 138-41.  A related Liao dynasty gilt-bronze figure, also with similar features and tall crown, is illustrated in Denise Patry Leidy and Donna Strahan, Wisdom Embodied: Chinese Buddhist and Daoist Sculpture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New Haven, 2010, p. 122, no. 26.