191 - A NORTHERN WEI BUDDHA STONE HEAD CHINA

A NORTHERN WEI BUDDHA STONE HEAD CHINA Dimensions: Height 15 cm Wide 10 cm Depth 9 cm Weight: 1815 grams A sculpted Buddha head with softly closed eyes, gently arched brows and a small, composed smile. The broad forehead rises to a mass of carefully arranged hair, while elongated ears frame the cheeks and taper toward the broken neck. The surviving face retains a quiet symmetry, though the surface is irregularly worn and the details of the nose, lips and hair have been softened by abrasion. Buddha heads of this type were conceived as part of larger devotional images, in which the serene expression embodied qualities of concentration and compassion. Here the fragmentary state focuses attention on the face itself: the transition from brow to lowered eyelids, the calm line of the mouth and the rhythmic texture of the hair. The stone-like surface displays contrasting grey and sandy tones, with accretions lodged in the recesses and losses around the neck.