LIAO DYNASTY (907-1125)

It is rare to find a large stone head of an official, although because of its large size, it is likely that this is a representation of a god in official guise. The fleshy shape of the face and the style of the beard, mustache and facial features are similar to the faces of officials included in wall murals painted on the walls of the rear chamber of the tomb (dated to 1116) of Zhang Shiqing in Xuanhua, Hebei province, illustrated in Gilded Splendor: Treasures of China's Liao Empire (907-1125), Asia Society, New York, 2006, pp. 260, 338 and 340, figs. 102, 115 and 116. (Fig. 1) In these the officials appear to be participating in various ceremonies.