CHINESE TANG DYSNATY STONE HEAD OF BUDDHA - LARGE SIZE

C. AD 618-907. Tang Dynasty. Large stone head of Buddha with carefully modelled hair that allow us to distinguish individual curls. His heavily-lidded eyes are closed as well as his lips. A rounded, double chin and prominent, pendulous ears are characteristic of Buddha in Chinese art. Buddhism entered China as early as the Han Dynasty (late 3rd century BC-early 3rd century AD) and has played an important part in shaping the country's art, politics, literature and philosophy. This exceptional piece embodies the importance of Buddha to Chinese culture and reflects the enormous amount of work invested by Tang craftsmen. Provenance: Private London collection of Asian Art; formerly in an old British collection. Acquired in Hong Kong in the early 1990s. Size: L:with stand: 780mm / W:380mm ; 50k+g