.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
The stone Buddha is seated in dhyanasana on a lotus base raised on a separate pedestal. The figure exhibits a full, harmonious countenance with benevolent expression, the chest is robust and taut, the hair is rendered in undulating wave patterns, showcasing classical features characteristic of High Tang Buddhist sculpture.
A twenty-six-character dedicatory inscription carved beneath the lotus base reads: “On the tenth day of the third month of the third year of Xianqing (658), Buddhist disciple and monk Zhigan reverently commissioned this stone figure in pious memory of their deceased parents.” The Xianqing reign (656-661) was the second era of Emperor Gaozong of Tang. His reign, along with the subsequent reign of Empress Wu saw a major flourishing of Buddhist art, highlighted by the creation of massive, sophisticated and realistic sculptures, particularly in the Longmen Grottoes. The commissioner of the present statue, Zhigan was one of the most respected monks of the period. According to the Qingding sikuquanshu (Incense, juan 6, Monk Zhigan’s chamber was filled with an exotic fragrance that did not dissipate after even an extended period.
A twenty-six-character dedicatory inscription carved beneath the lotus base reads: “On the tenth day of the third month of the third year of Xianqing (658), Buddhist disciple and monk Zhigan reverently commissioned this stone figure in pious memory of their deceased parents.” The Xianqing reign (656-661) was the second era of Emperor Gaozong of Tang. His reign, along with the subsequent reign of Empress Wu saw a major flourishing of Buddhist art, highlighted by the creation of massive, sophisticated and realistic sculptures, particularly in the Longmen Grottoes. The commissioner of the present statue, Zhigan was one of the most respected monks of the period. According to the Qingding sikuquanshu (Incense, juan 6, Monk Zhigan’s chamber was filled with an exotic fragrance that did not dissipate after even an extended period.