Lot Essay
The inscription on the reverse bears the date and the name of the donor, the text is written in sixteen four-character verses, and consists of Buddhist wishes for happiness, peace, and the health of the donor's family, his teacher and the ruler. The date seems to correspond to the style of carving, the shallow folds of the robes and the slightly relaxed posture of the attendants are comparable to other stone carvings of the sixth century; see O.Sirèn, A History of Early Chinese Art - Sculpture, London 1930, plates 60 & 67. Compare also Northern Wei bronze stele with a similar leaf-shaped mandorla decorated with engraved flames.