Tête de bodhisattva
Grès
Objet religieux
H. 40 x l. 22.5 x P. 26 cm
M.C. 2004-9
Legs, Dollinger, Albert Nicolas
While Chinese Buddhist statuette art of the 5th, 6th and 7th centuries produced very diverse styles in rapid succession, the Tang dynasty (618-907) put an end to these developments with works of majestic proportions, powerfully expressive and highly decorated. This new style would be endlessly repeated for centuries. The Song (960-1279) would foster an aesthetic deriving directly from the great art of the 8th century, more or less bastardised, alongside highly realistic or narrative works.
Here, the plump face, intense gaze partially hidden by lowered lids as in a yoga exercise and hair divided into curls are so many features perpetuating the clichés of Tang art. The work was in fact thought to date from the Tang period on its purchase by the collector in New York, as a former sticker on the base shows.