A RARE BUDDHIST STONE STELE, NORTHERN WEI DYNASTY China, 386-534. Buddha is shown seated in dhyanasana with hands held in dhyanamudra, wearing robes that fall in heavy folds, his sensitively carved face bears a serene expression with heavy-lidded eyes and full lips, the hair arranged in tight curls beneath the usnisha. The figure is flanked by two smaller acolytes above two Buddhist lions and backed by a tall aureole carved with bands decorated with acolytes and diminutive Buddhas. The plinth with further figures.

Provenance: An old German private collection, ca. 1980, by repute. A private collection in Bavaria, Germany, acquired from the above. Galerie Zacke, Vienna, 16 November 2013, lot 17. A notable private collector in Kensington, London, United Kingdom, acquired from the above. A copy of the original invoice from Galerie Zacke, dated 17 November 2013 and stating a purchase price of EUR 16,432 or approx. EUR 19,500 (adjusted for inflation at the time of writing), accompanies this lot. The aforementioned Bavarian collection has been built since the 1970s into one of the largest collections of Buddhist bronzes and sculptures in Central Europe. The collector was a noted magician and as such guided by the fundamental idea that one thing can also be another, always looking for a second nature or hidden meaning behind the primary appearance of an artwork.
Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age, and overall exactly as expected and found on other examples from the same period. Extensive wear, weathering, erosion, encrustations, structural fissures, and minor cracks. Some losses and nicks, as seen in the images.

Dimensions: Height 66 cm

This exceptional and important statue belongs to a small group of Northern Wei Buddhist stone steles depicting the Buddha with acolytes on one side and scenes of the Buddha's life on the reverse, the imagery deriving from Indian prototypes. The reverse of the present stele shows scenes from the life of Buddha, including his final death, the parinirvana.

Literature comparison:
A similar but slightly smaller stone stele of Buddha, dated by inscription to AD 455 of the Northern Wei dynasty, is illustrated by Jin Shen in the Catalogue of Treasures of Buddhist Sculpture in Overseas Collections including Hong Kong and Taiwan, Shanxi, 2007, page 3. Also illustrated, page 10, is another stone stele of Buddha, dated to AD 472 of the Northern Wei dynasty, also depicting friezes of the Buddha's life on the reverse.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's New York, 25 March 2022, lot 733
Price: USD 781,200 or approx. EUR 763,000 converted at the time of writing
Description: An important and very rare stone Buddhist stele, Northern Wei dynasty, dated by inscription to AD 457
Expert remark: Compare the closely related carving and subject, with a similar aureole carved with diminutive Buddhas, the reverse also with scenes from the Buddha's life. Note the smaller size (41 cm) and the dating inscription, as well as the exceptionally well documented provenance and history of publications.

13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU.
北魏罕見佛碑
中國，386-534年。佛陀結跏趺坐，雙手施禪那印，身穿著長袍，褶皺綫條流暢。面容沉靜慈祥，雙眼微閉，面露微笑，俯首下視，神情祥和親切。頭上螺髻。佛像兩側各有一位菩薩侍立，石碑左右兩角為獅子。後有光背，光背上刻有人物場景的紋帶。

來源：德國私人舊藏，據説購於 1980年前後；德國巴伐利亞私人收藏購於上述收藏；維也納Galerie Zacke藝廊，2013年11月16日，lot 17；英國倫敦肯辛頓知名私人收藏購於上述拍賣。隨附一份Zacke藝廊2013年11月17日出具的原始發票複印件，上面注明價格為 EUR 16,432，相當於現在的 EUR 19,500。巴伐利亞收藏創建於上世紀七十年代，是歐洲最大的佛教銅像和雕塑造像收藏之一。這位收藏家是一位著名的魔術師，因此遵循“一物也可以是另一物”這一基本理念，總是在藝術品的主觀背後尋找第二本性或隱藏的意義。
品相：狀況極好，與年齡相符。大面積磨損、風化、侵蝕、結殼、結構裂縫，一些缺損和刻痕，如圖所示。

尺寸：高66 厘米

這尊非凡而重要的雕像屬於北魏佛教石碑，一面描繪佛陀，背面描繪佛陀的生活場景，展示了佛陀生前的故事與涅槃。

文獻比較：
一件相似但較小的北魏公元455年佛陀石碑，見金申編《海外及港台藏歷代佛像》，山西，2007年，頁3。另一件北魏公元472年佛陀石碑，背面描繪佛陀的生活場景，見同本書頁10。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2022年3月25日，lot 733
價格：USD 781,200（相當於今日EUR 763,000）
描述：北魏公元457年重要和罕見的佛陀石碑
專家評論：比較非常相近的雕刻和主題，兩側各有一位菩薩侍立，背面描繪佛陀的生活場景。請注意尺寸較小 (41 厘米) ，有年代款識，以及紀錄完整的來源和出版歷史。