A CARVED RED SANDSTONE RELIEF FRAGMENT OF AN ATTENDANT NORTHERN WEI DYNASTY |

the softly rounded figure carved in a dynamic pose, standing stop a circular support, the hips swaying to the left and both forearms raised, the long robes secured at the waist and falling in folds over the legs, with a sash tied across the chest, the angled head with a benign smile and the hair swept into a high topknot 

Frank Caro, successor to C.T. Loo, New York, circa 1959. 
Collection of Stephen Junkunc, III (d. 1978). 

The figure has losses to the elbows and pedestal (all as illustrated) and scattered chips and softening of the surface detail from weathering. The nose has been replaced. The sculpture has a warmer reddish tone compared to the catalogue illustrations.
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.

The carving style of this standing attendant draws on the tradition of the Yungang caves near Datong, in Shanxi province, which were largely constructed between 398 and 494, when Pincheng, modern day Datong, was the capital of the Northern Wei dynasty. Carving in the Yungang tradition is characterized by elegant, willowy bodies, and facial features that convey a sense of spiritual modesty, representing the ideal of Chinese beauty at the time. See Yungang Shiku / The Yunkang Caves, Beijing, 1977, pl. 38 for a relief panel showing apsaras and bodhisattva. Figures of standing attendants in the Yungang tradition are rare. Compare, however, a relief fragment showing a standing bodhisattva in a niche from the Yamaguchi Collection, in the Osaka Municipal Museum of Art, included in the exhibition Chinese Buddhist Stone Sculpture. Veneration of the Sublime, Osaka Municipal Museum of Art, Osaka, 1995, cat. no. 10,