28th Jun, 2024 11:00

Fine Asian Art Summer Sale

 
  Lot 53
 

53

A RARE AND IMPORTANT POLYCHROME DECORATED LIMESTONE FIGURE OF BUDDHA, NORTHERN QI DYNASTY

Sold for €19,500

including Buyer's Premium


Lot details

China, 550-577. Finely sculpted, standing in samabhanga wearing a close-fitting monastic robe draped over one shoulder, elegantly detailed with neatly incised folds covered in remnants of red pigment. The face and exposed shoulder with remnants of gilt, his serene expression with heavy-lidded downcast eyes, full bow-shape lips forming a calm smile, elongated earlobes, and his hair arranged in neatly carved nodes.

Provenance: Japanese private collection. Collection of Monsieur M.M., acquired from the above in 1971. Italian private collection, acquired from the above.
Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age, with wear, signs of weathering and erosion, small nicks, losses to pigments and gilt, chips, and natural flaws, all as expected. The lot underwent a conservative restoration intervention during which layers of atmospheric dust and a layer of protective wax was removed. After this, the statue underwent a chromatic integration process to fill a gap of pigment in the area of the hair, ensuring uniformity. It was also fitted to a stand during the restoration process. A copy of the detailed conservation report in Italian accompanies this lot and contains a detailed analysis of the state of preservation before and after, signed by the conservation specialist and dated 7 September 2023.

Weight: 41.3 kg (incl. base)
Dimensions: Height 108 cm (incl. base), 97.5 cm (excl. base)

Mounted on a modern stand.

The Northern Qi period witnessed a transformation in Buddhist sculptural style, particularly in regard to clothing. While the artisans of the Northern Wei depicted Buddha's robes with a deep neck and voluminous, rippling folds, Northern Qi robes are soft and diaphanous, revealing the contours of the body beneath. The present figure, like other similar examples of the period, was once lavishly painted and gilded.

The Northern Qi style is an indirect interpretation of the Indian Gupta style, particularly the Sarnath school, transmitted to China via the Central Asian trade routes. The adoption of the foreign style reflects the socio-political changes that occurred at the beginning of the Northern Qi period, when its rulers looked to non-Han stylistic traditions. This was in marked contrast to the Northern Wei rulers, who sought to acculturate themselves within the Han polity through a process of Sinicization.

Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related limestone figure of Buddha wearing related robes and carved using closely related modeling with remnants of gilt, 150 cm high, dated to the Northern Qi dynasty, in the National Museum China. Compare a related limestone figure of Buddha similarly covered in polychrome pigments, 110 cm high, dated to the late 6th century, in the Minneapolis Institute of Art, accession number 2000.207.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 20 March 2015, lot 755
Price: USD 1,805,000 or approx. EUR 2,230,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A polychrome and gilt-limestone figure of Buddha, Northern Qi dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related style and polychrome pigments. Note the different weathering and the robes which are not detailed with incision work. Note the smaller size (46.6 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 25 September 2020, lot 1531
Price: USD 2,550,000 or approx. EUR 2,856,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A magnificent large gray limestone standing figure of Buddha, Northern Qi dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the related style and incised robes. Note the lack of preserved pigments. Note the larger size (171.3 cm).

 

China, 550-577. Finely sculpted, standing in samabhanga wearing a close-fitting monastic robe draped over one shoulder, elegantly detailed with neatly incised folds covered in remnants of red pigment. The face and exposed shoulder with remnants of gilt, his serene expression with heavy-lidded downcast eyes, full bow-shape lips forming a calm smile, elongated earlobes, and his hair arranged in neatly carved nodes.

Provenance: Japanese private collection. Collection of Monsieur M.M., acquired from the above in 1971. Italian private collection, acquired from the above.
Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age, with wear, signs of weathering and erosion, small nicks, losses to pigments and gilt, chips, and natural flaws, all as expected. The lot underwent a conservative restoration intervention during which layers of atmospheric dust and a layer of protective wax was removed. After this, the statue underwent a chromatic integration process to fill a gap of pigment in the area of the hair, ensuring uniformity. It was also fitted to a stand during the restoration process. A copy of the detailed conservation report in Italian accompanies this lot and contains a detailed analysis of the state of preservation before and after, signed by the conservation specialist and dated 7 September 2023.

Weight: 41.3 kg (incl. base)
Dimensions: Height 108 cm (incl. base), 97.5 cm (excl. base)

Mounted on a modern stand.

The Northern Qi period witnessed a transformation in Buddhist sculptural style, particularly in regard to clothing. While the artisans of the Northern Wei depicted Buddha's robes with a deep neck and voluminous, rippling folds, Northern Qi robes are soft and diaphanous, revealing the contours of the body beneath. The present figure, like other similar examples of the period, was once lavishly painted and gilded.

The Northern Qi style is an indirect interpretation of the Indian Gupta style, particularly the Sarnath school, transmitted to China via the Central Asian trade routes. The adoption of the foreign style reflects the socio-political changes that occurred at the beginning of the Northern Qi period, when its rulers looked to non-Han stylistic traditions. This was in marked contrast to the Northern Wei rulers, who sought to acculturate themselves within the Han polity through a process of Sinicization.

Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related limestone figure of Buddha wearing related robes and carved using closely related modeling with remnants of gilt, 150 cm high, dated to the Northern Qi dynasty, in the National Museum China. Compare a related limestone figure of Buddha similarly covered in polychrome pigments, 110 cm high, dated to the late 6th century, in the Minneapolis Institute of Art, accession number 2000.207.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 20 March 2015, lot 755
Price: USD 1,805,000 or approx. EUR 2,230,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A polychrome and gilt-limestone figure of Buddha, Northern Qi dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related style and polychrome pigments. Note the different weathering and the robes which are not detailed with incision work. Note the smaller size (46.6 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 25 September 2020, lot 1531
Price: USD 2,550,000 or approx. EUR 2,856,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A magnificent large gray limestone standing figure of Buddha, Northern Qi dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the related style and incised robes. Note the lack of preserved pigments. Note the larger size (171.3 cm).

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