Lot 575
Ming Dynasty Gilt Stucco Head of Buddhist Guardian w/ Glass Eyes, CIRAM Tested
Ming Dynasty Gilt Stucco Head of Buddhist Guardian w/ Glass Eyes, CIRAM Tested
Starting Bid: $50,000
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East Asia, China, Ming Dynasty., ca. 1368 - 1644 CE. A monumental wood and stucco head of a Buddhist guardian deity commands attention through sheer force of physiognomy, the face set in the controlled ferocity that distinguishes the lokapala, or heavenly king, from the more serene categories of the Ming sculptural canon. The broad, fleshy face is modeled with considerable naturalistic ambition: sharply angled brows knitted above narrowed eyes with inset glass pupils that retain their unsettling vitality, a wide nose, and lips parted in an expression hovering between stern resolve and suppressed wrath. The surface is covered in a dark lacquered ground with extensive traces of gold gilding, the whole showing the deep craquelure and patina of age that only centuries of temple atmosphere can produce. Size: 13.3" W x 17.7" H x 13" D (33.8 cm W x 45.0 cm H x 33.0 cm D); on included custom stand: 23" H (58.4 cm H)
The headdress is a showpiece in its own right. Formed and fired separately, it is painted in cobalt blue and turquoise, fitted closely to the crown and ornamented along its brow band with polychrome medallions enclosing peony blossoms in pink and green, likely lotus variants given the Buddhist context. A shaped topknot rises above, its blue and teal surfaces weathered to a marbled complexity. The rear of the head reveals incised parallel striations indicating stylized hair beneath the crown, and the rough, exposed break at the neck confirms this is a fragment, perhaps from a figure of temple scale.
Guardian figures of this type, known as tianwang or dikpala depending on their precise iconographic identity, stood sentinel at the entrance halls of Buddhist temples throughout the Ming period, their ferocious expressions intended to repel malevolent forces and protect the dharma within. A head of this scale and modeling quality implies an original figure of considerable size, possibly among the larger devotional commissions of its era. Mounted on a custom wood stand.
Publication: Please note that the pigments of this piece have been tested by CIRAM and found to be consistent with creation in the Ming Dynasty.
Provenance: private Colorado, USA collection
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Item #
202518
- Condition: Fragment of a larger piece. Some areas of repainting which is typical for stucco sculptures of this age. Weathering with nicks, abrasions, and stable fissures commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent presentation with good preservation of detail and pigments. Trace remains of gilding to surface.
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| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $749 | $25 |
| $750 | $1,499 | $50 |
| $1,500 | $2,999 | $100 |
| $3,000 | $7,499 | $250 |
| $7,500 | $14,999 | $500 |
| $15,000 + | $1,000 |