A LIMESTONE VOTIVE FIGURE OF BUDDHA NORTHERN WEI DYNASTY |

carved seated in dhyanasana on a rectangular base, the figure depicted with the hands held in dhyanamudra and dressed in a pleated robe draped over the left shoulder and partly cast over the right, falling in undulating folds off his left forearm and knees leaving the torso bare, the face detailed with downcast eyes and tight bud lips, framed by long pendulous earlobes and surmounted by an ushnisha, all against a pointed mandorla edged with flames, the head neatly framed by five smaller images of Buddha seated in niches within the halo on the mandorla, with six further small Buddhas on the sides above two kneeling donors in profile, the rectangular base bordered with pendent petal lappets supported on two crouching lions flanking a central cintamani jewel wreathed in curling foliage, the dark grey stone with pale red undertones, Japanese wood box

Collection of Sakamoto Gorō (1923-2016), acquired between the 1950s and 1960s.

As visible in the catalogue photo, there is surface wear expected with age. There are also chips to the left lower corner of the base and the rear left edge of the mandorla.
"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."

This Buddha figure is special for its simple yet deep carving style suggesting an early Northern Wei period date. The rounded face and plain hair are characteristic of early carvings when Buddha was typically depicted young-looking with a plump face. Buddha is also depicted with a serene gentle smile which represents an evolution toward a more typically Chinese Buddha image from its Gandharan predecessors. Two closely comparable Buddha figures are illustrated in Rokuchō no bijutsu, Tokyo, 1976, col. pl. 50 and pl. 231, together with another seated Buddha, lacking the mandorla but belonging to this group of carving and dated to 466, pl. 49. See another related Buddha flanked by two bodhisattvas, dated to 472, in the Daiwa Bunkakan, included ibid., pl. 230; and a Buddha in the center of a triad stele dated in accordance with AD 455, in the Fujii Yurinkan, Kyoto, published ibid., pl. 228. A further comparable example, in the Yamato Bunkakan, Tokyo, is published in Matsubara Saburo, Chugoku bukkyo chokoku shiron / Chinese Buddhist Sculpture, Tokyo, 1995, plate vol. 1, pl. 44, together with a Buddha seated on a pedestal carved with lions, as seen here, pl. 45b.