Chinese Wei Dynasty Stone Head - Dipankara Buddha

East Asia, China, Northern Wei Dynasty, ca. 386 to 535 CE. A graceful sandstone carving of the Dipankara Buddha, featuring exaggeratedly large facial features on a slender face: huge, almond-shaped eyes underneath a shallow but defined brow with thick eyebrows; an elegant, thin nose that broadens at the nostrils, and a large-lipped mouth curved upward into a wide smile. Small ears and a head of tightly curled hair complete the head. The Dipankara Buddha is one of the "Buddhas of the past", with his name literally meaning "Lamp Bearer". This head would have been attached to a larger sculpture, and the figure would have been displayed with others - probably bodhisattvas, as this Buddha is rarely portrayed alone. It would have stood in a cave or temple. The remains of white pigment are visible on the face. Size: 8.5" W x 9.75" H (21.6 cm x 24.8 cm); 13.85" H (35.2 cm) on included custom stand.

The Wei Dynasty represents the beginning of Buddhist influence on Chinese art. This sculpture was made in a region of China that had a great deal of contact with the outside world and was ruled by foreign monarchs. Buddhist figures are portrayed as graceful and thin, draped in the robes of scholars. This elegant carving exemplifies that style.

Provenance: ex-private Micklautz collection, Hawaii, USA, collected from 1940 to 1998

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#151852
Condition Report: Repaired on the nose and forehead - these areas of repair are small, well done, and unobtrusive. Otherwise in great condition with some weathering to the stone. Some original pigment remaining and nice deposits on surface. This head would have once been part of a larger sculpture.