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A white marble sculpture of a head of a person starting at the neck. The face is round with small lips, nose, slim eyes, and thin, curved eyebrows. Their hair is short with swirled details.

The white marble sculpture is of a head of a person starting at the neck. The face is round with small lips, nose, slim eyes, and thin, curved eyebrows. Their ears are long and thin. Their hair is short with swirled details. The sculpture is pale off-white in color.

Gallery Text

Among the most serene images of the Buddha ever carved, this white marble sculpture features the fleshy oval face, with small eyes and short nose, that became a hallmark of the style of the Northern Qi dynasty, which controlled northern China in the late sixth century and heavily patronized Buddhism. The plump face and wavy hair, and the circular design on the head, anticipate the Tang dynasty style of a century later. Although the small, half-closed eyes suggest that the Buddha is lost in meditation, painted details would have given them a particular focus, so that the Buddha would have seemed more engaged with the world. In addition, a large-scale sculpture of this type would have been placed slightly above the viewer, so that the Buddha would appear to look down benevolently into the raised gaze of the supplicant.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
1943.53.47
Title
Head of a Buddha
Classification
Sculpture
Work Type
sculpture, head
Date
550 - 577
Places
Creation Place: East Asia, China, Hebei province
Period
Northern Qi, 550-577
Culture
Chinese
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/204428

Location

Location
Level 1, Room 1610, Buddhist Sculpture, Buddhism and Early East Asian Buddhist Art
View this object's location on our interactive map

Physical Descriptions

Medium
White marble. From Dingzhou, Hebei province.
Dimensions
H. 36 x W. 25 x D. 21.5 cm (14 3/16 x 9 13/16 x 8 7/16 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Grenville L. Winthrop, New York (by 1943), bequest; to Fogg Art Museum, 1943.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Grenville L. Winthrop
Accession Year
1943
Object Number
1943.53.47
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions

THIS WORK MAY NOT BE LENT BY THE TERMS OF ITS ACQUISITION TO THE HARVARD ART MUSEUMS.

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Exhibition History

  • 32Q: 1610 Buddhist Art I, Harvard Art Museums, 11/16/2014 - 01/01/2050

Subjects and Contexts

  • Collection Highlights
  • Google Art Project

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu