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I have been refining my treasure hunting these last few months I popped into a mall that I only go to check one vendor she is a world traveler and very eclectic. I saw the Buddha on a table but it had no price so I got in touch with her to get a price. She had no information but I have been researching Buddha’s and instantly recognized it as Tang Dynasty. My question is what drove the decapitation of these Buddha’s from their stone bodies. I did reach out to a contact and confirmed the dating but I have decided for now not to auction it since I collect buddhas and would unlikely not find another. These are mass produced today in the boat loads.
Hi Brian,
I like the facial features, and I hate to say it, but I think that one is modern. I have frequently found ones with that hair pattern. I think it is done with a diamond coring bit--hence the little circles. I could be wrong--maybe they used bamboo, with grit. But in the real ones, the little hair tufts seem to be little coiled cones.
Charles
@lotusblack I agree with Charles. The quality of the carving falls short of genuine Tang work. As for your question, Tang and other stone statues were subject to damage from weather and warfare. So, preserving the head of a statue was not uncommon, nor is it unique to Asian culture.
Maybe this will help convince you that this is No modern head
@lotusblack Nope...not convinced.
The head of Buddha is of high importance, and such, the attention given to details such as hair style and facial features should exemplify the very highest of carving quality. Any absence of quality should be suspect.
The hair on your Buddha head was clearly carved with a power tool making equally circular cuts for the hair - that's not how genuine pieces were carved.
I believe I have a near identical head rolling around at my building.
@lotusblack I don't know how old your Buddha head is, but I recently obtained one myself I thought could be very old so I sent it to Peter for assessment. He dated it to most likely the 19th C and told me that a large number were created at that time. Like yours, mine looks like it was hacked off of a statue and seems quite old in appearance. He also said that years ago he was told by one of the world's foremost experts in these stone Buddha statues that even a decent portion of the heads that have made it into museums and that have come up for auction at the major houses were actually made in the 19th C in a very convincing way to emulate the older ones, and not many people can tell the difference, so it is a very tricky area to get involved with and he mostly avoids it himself. With that said, I personally find it hard to resist buying one that has some age when I come across them. Let's face it, they're just cool things. Plus, it's the Buddha's head, so what's not to like? Every home should have one! Buddha heads for all I say!
@lotusblack The nice ones are undervalued like the wood carvings imo.
@johnshoe I have a strong background in geology since I own a gold mine with a operational plan. I understand stone and rocks I also know stone to create fossilized patina takes a very long time. No faker can create fossilized patina if the outside of the stone has fossilized patina it is in no way modern. The Buddha I have was attached to a body and was outside for a very long period long enough to create fossilized patina and stone erosion every copy of similar pieces none show fossilized patina or natural erosion.
not sure the style I don’t recognize might be south East Asian.
@johnshoe John, your Buddhist head, if genuine (and I think it is) is a Gandaharan piece - 3/4 th c., so about 1900-2000 years old.
I've had several figures, busts, and heads over the years... they can bring good money when the surface carving is intact.
https://www.christies.com/lot/a-group-of-nine-schist-and-stucco-5293851/?intObjectID=5293851&lid=1
@greeno107 That is what I would hope it is, but I'm still not sure about it. After I got it I looked at as many Gandharan examples as I could find and it certainly seemed to have potential to be a real one, but I think I would have to have someone in the know handle it in person. And there seems to be a lot of differing opinions about the authenticity of these. By the way, the whole history of Gandhara was something I learned more about as well while I was researching the head. It was quite a place and time in world history - an amazing combination of cultures came together there. I watched a little documentary about it - maybe I can find it again and if so I will post a link. John
@johnshoe Certainly, anything can be faked. However, the carving is exceptionally good, the stucco (or stone...hard to say for certain with the photo) is worn in a natural way, and the chisel marks seem genuine. I dissolved a fairly extensive archeological collection that had hundreds of schist, stucco, and sandstone Buddhist pieces, including some from Gandahara - your head is spot on, but not the kind of value when one sells a bust or entire figure.
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The art of calligraphy - and for the ancient Chinese it certainly was an art - aimed to demonstrate superior control and skill using brush and ink. Calligraphy established itself as one of the major Chinese art forms during the Han dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE), and for two millennia after, all educated men were expected to be proficient at it.
The Museum’s collections of Asian art span nearly five millennia and encompass the cultures of China, the Himalayas, India, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia. In 2007, the Museum launched an initiative to create dedicated galleries for the collection, beginning with a gallery for the arts of Korea ...
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China Online Museum is the finest online museum of Chinese art. It features Chinese calligraphy, painting, ceramics, bronzes, carving, and other artworks.
Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art. Overview Upcoming auctions Contacts Auction results ... Christie’s sales of Chinese ceramics and works of art showcase centuries of Chinese history. Held throughout the year in London, New York, Paris and Hong Kong, they attract a wide audience of collectors and connoisseurs vying for pieces as diverse as ...
Explore Asian Art Week. Contact the Specialist Department. Chinese Paintings ... Senior Specialist, Head of Sale. [email protected]. Tel:+1 212 641 5760. Bid in-person or online for the upcoming auction:Fine Chinese Paintings on 10 September 2019 at New York. Bid in-person or online for the upcoming auction:Fine Chinese Paintings on 10 ...
Discover an abundance of must-see art from all corners of a vast continent at Christie’s NY Asian Art Week. From contemporary classical and Chinese paintings to works with exemplary provenance from the Art Institute of Chicago, our Rockefeller Paza galleries will be full of ancient treasures and contemporary masterworks in a salute to the vibrant arts of Asia.
Sold to benefit The Art Institute of Chicago’s Asian Art Acquisition Fund, the sale features 84 lots with a focus on Ming and Qing porcelains, and offers a rare insight into the taste for collecting Chinese ceramics and works of art in the Midwest from the end of the 19th century through the 1980s. Highlights include two Wanli wucai garlic-head vases, a Qianlong mark and period, blue and ...
Specialist, Chinese Paintings, Christie's London Dr Malcolm McNeill is a Specialist in Chinese Paintings at Christie’s, based in London. He previously worked as an assistant curator of the Chinese collections and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, as a researcher at the British Museum, and as a translator and tour guide at the National Palace Museum in Taipei.
The Christie's Education 2020 Conference: The Chinese Art Market 18 Jun 2019 Christie’s Education is delighted to announce our first international academic conference in Asia which will take place in Hong Kong from 26-27 November 2020 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and will run in parallel with Christie’s Hong Kong Autumn Auctions.
The summer Chinese Art sale in Hong Kong will feature works of art from several private collections, including Qing porcelains and textile from the collection of the legendary Chinese art dealer A. W. Bahr (1877–1959), fine gilt bronze Buddhist sculptures from an old Hong Kong collection, an East Asian collection of Qing dynasty wine cups and jades, and a Japanese collection of Song ceramics ...
Sotheby's Chinese Works of Art Department holds two auctions each year in London, New York, Hong Kong and Paris.
Chinese Art - View Auction details, bid, buy and collect the various artworks at Sothebys Art Auction House.
With more than 340 Chinese works of art dating from the Neolithic to the Republic periods, highlights of this sale include a selection of Qing Imperial monochromes from the collection of Arnold and Blema Steinberg, early ceramics from the Art Institute of Chicago and Chinese porcelain and works of art from the collection of Henry Arnhold.
Results: Sotheby's Asia Week achieved $52.4 million in six strong auctions, exceeding pre-sale estimates. With 76.5% of lots sold and 60.3% of lots surpassing high estimates, the Asian art sales at Sotheby's indicate continued collector interest in the finest works of art from China, India and and the Himalayas.
Today's sale of Important Chinese Art will proceed as planned with sessions at 10 AM and 2 PM EDT. Sotheby's will be monitoring the weather conditions throughout the day and will be available to coordinate alternative bidding options should conditions make it difficult for clients to attend the auction in person.
Bonhams Chinese Art department is renowned for offering the finest works of art representing the richness and breadth of China's artistic heritage, particularly Imperial porcelain, white and spinach green jades, cloisonné and Buddhist art. Specialised international auctions are held globally, including London, Hong Kong and San Francisco.
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Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers: auctioneers of art, pictures, collectables and motor cars. We use cookies to remember choices you make on functionality and personal features to enhance your experience to our site. By continuing to use our site you consent to the use of cookies. ... Chinese Art (US) General enquiries
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Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers: auctioneers of art, pictures, collectables and motor cars Bonhams : Asian Art We use cookies to remember choices you make on functionality and personal features to enhance your experience to our site.
Bonhams are international auctioneers of fine Chinese and Japanese art. We specialise in rare Imperial and Export Chinese ceramics and works of art, as well as Japanese ceramics, fine and decorative works of art from the Neolithic Period to the 20th century. View on map
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