A rare inscribed 'Huanghuashi' limestone Buddhist stele, Northern Zhou dynasty, dated Jiande 2nd year, corresponding to 573 | 北周 建德二年 (573年) 黃花石雕佛幢台

Sotheby's London, 28th January 1958, lot 10. 

Collection of Dr Wou Kiuan (1910-1997). 

Wou Lien-Pai Museum, 1968-present, coll. no. H.5.1. 

倫敦蘇富比1958年1月28日，編號10

吳權博士 (1910-1997) 收藏

吳蓮伯博物院，1968年至今，編號H.5.1

Rose Kerr et al., Chinese Antiquities from the Wou Kiuan Collection. Wou Lien-Pai Museum, Hong Kong, 2011, pl. 174.

柯玫瑰等，《Chinese Antiquities from the Wou Kiuan Collection. Wou Lien-Pai Museum》，香港，2011年，圖版174

Northern Zhou stone carved figures are distinguished by stocky, strong features, and square faces. Compare a four-sided huanghuashi stele attributed to the Northern Zhou illustrated in Saburo Matsubara, Chinese Buddhist Sculpture: A study based on bronze and stone statues other than works from cave temples. Tokyo, 1966, pls 185 a, b; as well a larger stele, dated by inscription to the fifth year of the Baoding reign, corresponding to 564, illustrated in ibid. pl. 187a. A larger four-sided stone stele dated by inscription to 571 is illustrated in Chinese Sculpture. Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts. Yamaguchi Collection, Osaka, 2013, pl. 050.

See also a Northern Zhou huanghuashi triad stele, also dated by inscription to the Jiande year in the Eisei-Bunko Museum, illustrating Arts Treasured by the Hosokawa Clan Selections from the Eisei-Bunko Museum Collection, Miho Museum, Tokyo, 2002, cat. no. 13; and a huanghuashi pedestal dated by inscription to 573, formerly in the collection of Bunkio Matsuki (1867-1940), now preserved in the Freer Sackler Galleries, Washington D.C. (accession no. F1909.94). 

In the 3rd year of Jiande (corresponding to 574), Buddhism was prohibited in China and the destruction of Buddhist images was strictly enforced. The present lot is therefore an important example of the late Northern Zhou style of Buddhist imagery created before this period of destruction.