北齊 / 北周 石灰岩雕佛造像碑

the central section carved with a shallow niche with a figure of Buddha surrounded by a lotus halo and flaming mandorla, hands in abhaya- and varadamudra, flanked by arhats, bodhisattvas, dvarapalas and apsaras, below a pair of entwined dragons whose curved bodies delineate the top of the stele, all above a recessed vignette of two kneeling monks with a censer between them, flanked by trees and seated lions, the lower edge with a fragmentary inscription, the sides and back carved with images of donors in low relief, wood stand

日本舊藏，購於1970年之前

The faces of five relief figures are repaired. The top left portion of the stele has a fine crack that runs all the way around. The edges have chips and cracks consistent with age. The lower part of the stele is broken and fitted into a wood stand, and there is a large shallow chip to the back. There are also cracks, with chips along their edges on the back of the stele, most noticable in the top half. There is general surface wear and some light earth encrustation to the surface overall.
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.

Stone stele were an important medium for recording historical events since before the Qin dynasty. With the arrival of Buddhism they also became a vehicle for devotees to gain merit, to commemorate their loved ones and to record their acts of devotion.

Only three characters remain of the inscription on the lower part of the present lot. The characters gong yang indicate that it served a votive function, and the character Wu, which is a family name. It is therefore likely that this stele was commissioned by members of the Wu family and either dedicated to the memory of deceased family members with the hope that they would be reunited in the presence of the Buddha, or to gain merit for the family. Five images of the donors appear on the sides and back of the stele.  Four of the images portray male donors shown larger than their accompanying attendants who hold parasols over their heads. The male donors are portrayed larger to convey their higher status. The fifth image shows a lone female. She is portrayed smaller than the males, but larger than the attendants, again, as an indication of status.

The main register of the stele portrays Buddha flanked by arhats, bodhisattva, dvarapala, and apsaras, above a vignette of kneeling monks, trees and seated lions flanking a censer. The Buddha, arhats and bodhisattva, stand on lotuses, and the dvarapala stand on rocks. The central Buddha figure is flanked by his disciples Ananda and Kasyapa.  Next to them are the bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta, holding a vase, and Avalokitesvara. On the outside are two dvarapalas, guardians to the entryway of holy spaces, here represented by the recessed niche, which would have been the center of devotional focus.

The treatment of the top of the niche housing the Buddha and his entourage, is very similar to a Northern Zhou dynasty stone carving in the Tokyo National Museum illustrated in Matsubara Saburo, Chinese Buddhist Sculpture, Tokyo, 1966, pl. 185 (a).  In both cases the top of the niches are carved to resemble tiled roofs topped by decorative ridges with gathered canopies hanging from them. The use of entwined dragons to define the top of a stele was also common during the sixth century.

The present lot displays characteristics of both the Northern Qi and Northern Zhou styles.  One unusual feature is the bird perched on top of the censer between the kneeling figures in the lower register. Birds do appear as finials on Han dynasty censers made of both pottery and bronze, such as the pottery boshanlu in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (65.74.2) and the bronze censer illustrated in Mary Tregear (Ed.), Arts of China: Neolithic Cultures to the T'ang Dynasty: Recent Discoveries, Tokyo, 1970, pl. 137. However, it is rare to see this motif on stone stele.