MING DYNASTY (1368-1644)

The straight hairline, large, heavily-lidded eyes, and soft fullness of the face of this head are all stylistic characteristics of Ming dynasty sculpture found across various media, including gilt bronze, wood, and porcelain. Compare the features of the present head to that of a large (100 cm.) sancai-glazed stoneware figure of a seated Buddha, also dating to the Ming dynasty, in the collection of The Buddhist Books and Cultural Relics Museum of China, Beijing, and illustrated in Fujiao Diaosu Mingpin Tulu, Beijing, 1997, p. 171, pl. 163. The face of the sancai-glazed figure shares similar treatment of the round shape, full lips, and hairline, with the face of the present stone head.