STONE BUDDHA HEAD Northern Wei dynasty (AD 386-534) A... Lot 50

STONE BUDDHA HEAD Northern Wei dynasty (AD 386-534) A SMALL SANDSTONE HEAD OF BUDDHA Northern Wei dynasty Well carved with a slightly elongated face rendered with a beatific expression, with downcast eyes below gracefully arched brows, with a gently curved mouth breaking into a smile and a pronounced long nose, framed by a pair of pendulous earlobes, his hair swept up into a domed ushnisha, Japanese wood stand. 19.5cm (7 5/8in) high (2). Footnotes: 北魏 石雕佛首像 Provenance： Yokoyama, Inc, Kyoto, December 9, 1959 Collection of Sidney Berger, New York 來源： 古美術横山，京都，1959年12月9日 Sidney Berger舊藏，紐約 The carving style of this small head of Buddha is characteristic of the style of the Yungang caves near Datong in Shanxi province, which were largely constructed between AD 398 and 494 AD under the Northern Wei dynasty. Buddhas heads with similar features are found in niches in Cave 5 at Yungang, illustrated in Zhongguo shiku: Yungang shiku, Beijing, 1998, pls.41, 45, 144 and 145. Compare also with two other heads attributed to Yungang, illustrated in Chinese Buddhist Stone Sculpture. Veneration of the Sublime, Osaka, 1995, nos.4 and 5. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * * VAT on imported items at a reduced rate of 5.5% on the hammer price and the prevailing rate on buyer's premium if the item remains in EU. VAT on imported items at a reduced rate of 5.5% on the hammer price and the prevailing rate on buyer's premium if the item remains in EU. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com