A SANDSTONE FIGURE OF A BODHISATTVA |

the standing figure in graceful tribangha posture, a draped scarf secured over one shoulder and looping diagonally across the bare chest, the elegantly pleated dhoti rolled at the hips below the rounded belly, falling in rhythmic folds and pooling around the feet, the torso adorned with a double-looping pectoral of foliate scrolls flanking a long teardrop pendant and long beaded strands of jewels joined by a large rosette, the head with a full-cheeked face and sensitively carved features, bearing a serene countenance, and hair swept up into a tall coiled chignon behind a scrolled tiara with central jewel and hung in back with trailing ribbons, wood stand

A Japanese private collection, prior to 1976.
Sotheby's New York, 21st September 2007, lot 13.

Zui Tou no Bijutsu [Arts of Sui and Tang period], Osaka Municipal Museum of Art, Osaka, 1976, cat. no. 16.

The torso has been broken and restored. There is old restoration to the back of the head, with a mortised break at the right elbow, a further old mortise to the left hip, and later restoration replacements below the knees.
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.

This finely carved image of a bodhisattva, so gracefully carved from attractive granulated sandstone of whitish tone, evokes the artistic spirit of the high period of the Tang dynasty, when China's sculptural tradition reached its most mature phase. The modelling of the male bodhisattva is articulated with vivid realism, the dignified poise endowed with the uttermost spirituality.  The bodhisattva exhibits close stylistic similarities with other recorded examples from China's cave temples, particularly those of Tianlongshan, such as the sandstone bodhisattva donated by Eduard von der Heydt to the Rietberg Museum, Zurich, illustrated in Museum Rietberg, Zurich, 2002, pp. 62-63. See also a torso from the collection of Stevenson Burke (1879-1962), sold in our New York rooms, 8th May 1980, lot 77 and more recently in these rooms, 2nd April 2018, lot 3023.