Ancient Chinese Stone HUGE Torso of the bodhisattva Guanyin 71 cm H.

Torso of the bodhisattva Guanyin. China, Wei to Tang dynasty. Circa 500-800 AD. 71 cm Height with stand. 60 cm Height without stand. 52 kg including stands. Condition: Good, see photos, original state. No restoration. PROVENANCE: Private collection, Cambridge, Great Britain, acquired circa 1980's. East Asia, China, Northern Wei, Sui, or Tang Dynasty, ca. 500 to 800 CE. A striking devotional image, carved from grey limestone, this torso is probably from a temple figure of the bodhisattva Guanyin (Avalokiteshvara) , "The Lord Who Gazes Down At The World", a sacred figure portrayed as both male or female who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. Skillfully carved with a tremendous amount of detail, the large, three-dimensional torso features elaborately rendered clothing and a beautifully carved tied belt. The Wei Dynasty represents the beginning of Buddhist influence on Chinese art. It was made in a region of China that had a great deal of contact with the outside world and was ruled by foreign monarchs. As here, Buddhist figures are portrayed as graceful and thin, draped in the robes of scholars. After the Wei Dynasty ended, Buddhist art continued to flourish throughout the Sui Dynasty and into the Tang, when it achieved a golden age. This was also an economic golden age in China, when imperial control of oases along the Silk Road allowed both the export of Chinese goods and the import of people and ideas from places like India, Persia, and even further afield. The capital city, Changan (modern day Xian) had 2 million inhabitants, making it one of the largest cities in the world at the time, and there was a large class of literati and artisans who lived there supported by the government. This artisan class had the luxury to produce beautiful sculptures like this one. Notes: The seller guarantees that he acquired this piece according to all national and international laws related to the ownership of cultural property. Provenance statement seen by Catawiki. The piece includes authenticity certificate. The piece includes Spanish Export License.