TANG DYNASTY, FIRST HALF 8TH CENTURY

Details

A RARE SMALL SANDSTONE FIGURE OF A BODHISATTVA
TANG DYNASTY, FIRST HALF 8TH CENTURY
Probably from Tianlongshan, shown standing with hands held palms together in anjali mudra in front of the bare chest which is spanned by a necklace, also wearing arm bands and bangles, a dhoti falling in soft U-shaped folds outlining the thighs and tied below the rounded belly, and a long shawl draped over the forearms, the round face well carved below hair drawn up into a tall topknot and adorned with foliate decorations and long ribbons falling to below the shoulders, with traces of pigment
13 1/8 in. (33.3 cm.) high, wood stand, box

Provenance

Collection of Dickson Reck, purchased in the 1930s or 1940s.

Lot Essay

A very similar complete figure of a standing bodhisattva also shown with hands held in anjali mudra (the gesture of adoration) is illustrated by d'Argencé (ed.) in Chinese, Korean and Japanese Sculpture in the Avery Brundage Collection, San Francisco, 1974, p. 216, no. 107, where it is noted that the small sculpture resembles figures from Caves 14, 17 and 18 at Tianlongshan, which have been dated between 720 and 730.

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