LOT 1106  A Very Rare Chinese Sandstone Carved Bodhisattva Head  

唐 砂岩石菩薩首像 思源堂舊藏 The face is delicately carved, featuring a small, curved mouth, a petite nose, and e...

唐 砂岩石菩薩首像 思源堂舊藏 The face is delicately carved, featuring a small, curved mouth, a petite nose, and eyes highlighted by full lower lids beneath gracefully arched brows. The hair is styled back and upwards into a looped top knot adorned with a flower, similar to those positioned over the ears. Above the scalloped hairline framing the forehead is a foliate scroll. The back of the head includes a small square socket. The finely grained, pale gray stone exhibits a sandy-colored surface. Tang Dynasty period (618–907). Height: 8 1/2 in (21.6 cm) Width: 4 1/2 in (11.4 cm) Provenance: 1. Collection of Sze Yuan Tang, Anthony Hardy, prior to 1995. 2. Sold in Sotheby's New York, September 21, 1995, Lot 161. 3. Property from an important East Coast Family Collection Compare similar but larger sandstone heads of a bodhisattva in the collection of Nezu Art Museum, Tokyo, illustrated by Sugimura, Chinese Sculpture, Bronzes and Jades in the Japanese Collections, Honolulu, 1966. 此尊唐代砂岩石菩薩首像，整體刻畫端莊秀麗，充滿典雅的藝術氣息。菩薩面容豐潤，五官柔和，眉眼低垂，流露出慈悲與寧靜的神態，頭部圓潤飽滿，髮髻高聳，雕刻細膩，紋理流暢，展現了唐代石雕的柔和與寫實風格。砂岩質地堅實而細膩，整體保存狀況較好，來源顯赫，具有極高的藝術與收藏價值，是研究唐代宗教藝術與雕塑風格的重要實物資料。類似藏品，可參考東京根津美術館所藏唐代砂岩佛首。