唐 砂岩石淺浮雕彩繪鳳凰

the sandstone slab of pale buff tone accented with colour pigments, carved in high relief with a yellow and red-feathered phoenix perched on a rocky ledge, naturalistically detailed with a curved beak above pendulous wattles and feathery crest, turning its head sharply towards the tip of its outstretched right wing while raising his left claw, the head, wing feathers and cragged promontory defined with incisions and coloured in maroon, the hackle, breast and claws pigmented yellow, with traces of green pigment

購於五十至六十年代

This is a wall fragment truncated on the rear and sides as visible on the photo. There is some wear and weathering on the surface in keeping with age. Otherwise there is no apparent recent damage or restoration. There are traces of an old red pigment on the bird's plumage and on the base, and traces of a yellow pigment on the bird's body, legs and left wing.
"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."

鳳凰，自古乃百鳥之王。鳳凰圖案早至漢代即見於石雕及其他藝術品類，寓意祥瑞。見一漢代浮雕例，飾鳳棲梧桐，波士頓美術館藏，錄於 Thomas Lawton，〈Two Han Funerary Reliefs〉，《Oriental Art》，卷6，第3期，1960年，頁95，圖版2。除吉祥寓意外，鳳凰逐漸演變為皇后之代名，且常與象徵皇帝之龍紋並用。

比較兩立鳳浮雕像，鳳首回盼，翎尾如本品所見垂直翹立，屬 von der Heydt 收藏，錄於 Osvald Sirén，《Chinese Sculptures in the von der Heydt Collection》，蘇黎世，1959年，圖版37。Sirén 述及此對鳳凰，原屬山西天龍山第十六窟，應乃一壁龕拱門支柱。此六世紀中期佛教石窟群，盡顯唐代所盛豐腴唯美之宗教造像風格。

另見一北魏時期鳳凰浮雕例，屬山西大同雲崗石窟第八窟，刊於《雲岡石窟》，北京，1977年，圖版40。此像或為後世雕塑之參摹原型。