A WHITE MARBLE PANEL OF BUDDHIST TRIAD
Liao dynasty, 10th-11th century
Carved in high relief, the Buddha Amitabha with calm, benevolent expression wearing a loose robe, seated in padmasana (lotus posture) on a cushioned seat with voluminous drapery and fringes, his right hand raised and left hand on his lap, the pedestal throne with lotus foot on a raised platform, flanked by two bodhisattvas standing on lotus plinths carved in a reduced scale, each wearing a long robe with flowing sash, the Avalokiteshvara clasping his hands at waist, identified by the small Buddha at the center of his elaborate headdress, the Mahasthamaprapta raising his hands in prayer, identified by the small vase at the center of his jeweled crown, the Buddha and bodhisattvas each with a gently-curved, leaf-shaped flaming mandorla behind their heads, the Buddha with a round of halo close to his head, a pair of apsaras riding on clouds above, holding one sprouting plant and one lotus bud, the entire scene supported by scrolling clouds at base and underneath, the sides and back of the panel left unfinished, the stone slightly weathered with earthy patina.
24in (61cm) high; 23in (58.5cm) wide; 9in (22.9cm) deep
Footnotes:
遼 白大理石佛三尊像

Provenance:
The Lannan Foundation
Sotheby's New York, 3 December 1986, lot 285
Sotheby's New York, 9 December 1987, lot 175A
A Long Island Collection
Christie's New York, 19 March 2008, lot 391

Published:
Gillman, Derek, 'General Munthe's Chinese Buddhist Sculpture: An Embarrassment of Riches?', SOAS Buddhist Forum, London, 1996, p. 116, Appendix 15 (not illustrated)

來源：
Lannan基金會舊藏
紐約蘇富比，1986年12月3日，拍品編號285
紐約蘇富比，1987年12月9日，拍品編號175A
紐約長島私人藏
紐約佳士得，2008年3月19日，拍品編號391

出版：
Gillman, Derek, 'General Munthe's Chinese Buddhist Sculpture: An Embarrassment of Riches?', 《SOAS Buddhist Forum》, 倫敦, 1996, 頁116, 附錄第15號 (未附圖)

The unfinished sides and the carved cloud base continuing underneath the panel suggest that the present example belonged to a larger frieze at a Buddhist pagoda or monastery. The style of carving and the course-grained white marble with a slight yellow tone compare closely to a group of much-discussed white marble sculptural panels from the vicinity of Baoding or Dingzhou in Hebei province.

White marble sculptures attributed to the Dingzhou region have been identified in museum collections around the world, most famously General J.W.N. Munthe's collection which was formed in the 1920's in Beijing and now in the collection of the Vestlandske Kunstindustrimuseum (West Norway Museum of Applied Art) in Bergen, Norway. Other notable examples of Buddha and bodhisattvas are in the University of Pennsylvania Museum collection, acquired from C.T. Loo in 1915 and illustrated on the museum's website, object number C98; and in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, donated by Avery Brundage, illustrated by Lefebvre d'Argence, Chinese, Korean and Japanese Sculpture in the Avery Brundage Collection, San Francisco, 1974, pp. 250-251, no. 132.

The present example shares striking resemblances with the marble panel of bodhisattva Manjushri in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, illustrated by D.P. Leidy in the museum's Bulletin, Fall 2003, p. 59, attributed to 10th-11th century. Compare between the two sculptures, for example, the jeweled headdress of the bodhisattva, the pear-shaped head and angular jaw of the attendant, the fluffy cloud under the attendant and at lower edge of the panel. As Leidy described of the bodhisattva Manjushri: 'His compact yet fleshy form, clinging drapery, and round-chubby face with closely grouped features typify sculptures produced in northeastern China during the Liao dynasty. The Khitan rulers of this realm adopted and preserved styles and images from the late Tang dynasty (618-906) and also played a seminal role in the development of Buddhist art in Korea and Japan.'

Another closely related carved marble seated bodhisattva Manjushri in the collection of the British Museum, with very similar arrangement of flaming mandorla and cloud base, is illustrated on the museum's website with multiple views, accession number 1982.0401.1, described as from Baoding, Hebei province, Liao/Jin dynasty, 12th century.

PLEASE NOTE: This report describes, but may not be limited to, major condition issues for the lot.



Overall in good, original condition with minimal restorations to Buddha's nose, eyebrows, and left eye. The sculpture is in remarkable condition consider its age, very well-preserved and ready for display.



A few areas showing residues of old restorations and touch-ups now appears in olive-brown color, which may indicate flaking or removal of old restorations at one point, most apparently the breaks of the heads of apsaras, facial features and hands of the bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta, the right arm of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, the edges of the Buddha's collar and lower edges of his throne. Two long cracks to the stone panel running vertically on either side of the Buddha, as seen in the catalogue photo, but the sculpture appears to be in stable condition. Chips and loses to edges as seen in the catalogue photo, most significantly the heads of two apsaras and the right forearm of the Buddha. Few painted prep layers remain near the two apsaras, now appear ochre-brown.



Pairs of modern drill holes and hardware at top and bottom, a '58.63' number painted in red on the back, suggesting that the sculptural panel may have been on display at an institution.