Lot 13
East Asia, China, Song Dynasty, ca. 960 to 1279 CE. A lovely pottery tile featuring a relief of two figures, one standing on the groundline and the other floating in a type of cloud or flame, suggesting godly status. Likely used as a decorative element in an aristocratic home or temple, this piece exemplifies the advanced brick-making techniques that flourished during the Ming Dynasty. As most ancient buildings containing these pieces used traditional fired mud and brick construction, they were subject to disasters like earthquakes, floods, fires, and war so that few survived intact like this example. Size: 11.5" L x 2" W x 9.3" H (29.2 cm x 5.1 cm x 23.6 cm)
During the Song Dynasty, China expanded its trade along the Silk Road and South and Central Asian Buddhist proselytizers brought many sculptures and paintings with Buddhist themes into the country. The ogee arch this figure stands beneath is based on a form from India called the chaitya arch. From the mid-6th century CE onward, the Chinese began to build temples from bricks rather than wood, and numerous brick pagodas were built, including the famous Iron Pagoda in Kaifeng. Originally built of wood, it was rebuilt with bricks at the request of Emperor Renzong following a natural disaster - when lightning struck and burned it down in 1049.
Provenance: private Los Angeles, California, USA collection, acquired from 1990 to 2005
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#192477
- Condition: Nicks, chips, and abrasions, commensurate with age, but otherwise, intact with liberal remaining detail and rich earthen deposits throughout.
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