IMPORTANTE TÊTE DU BODHISATTVA GUANYIN EN PIERREVIe siècle après J.-C.A RARE LARGE STONE HEAD OF BODHISATTVA GUANYIN6th century ADThe full face with a serene, contemplative expression, carved with gracefully curved, downcast eyes under high arched brows, with a small pursed mouth, the plump lips carved with a clearly defined bowed outline bearing traces of red pigment, the rounded cheeks framed by pendulous earlobes, the hair parted in the middle and arranged in thick strands below an elaborate diadem secured with band laying in folds above the forehead and tied in an elaborate knot with ends streaming behind the ears, the three-part diadem centered on the Buddha Amitabha on a lotus base, flanked on either side by elaborate floret and cloud wisps, traces of red, blue and green pigments, stand.39cm (15 3/8in) high. (2).Provenance: THE PROPERTY OF A DISTINGUISHED FRENCH FAMILY 法國顯赫家族藏品六世紀 石雕觀音菩薩頭像Provenance:Acquired in Paris by the grandfather of the present owners before 1935, and thence by descent來源:現任藏家祖父於1935年前於巴黎獲得，並由後人保存迄今The small image of the Buddha Amitabha on a lotus base prominently positioned in the centre in the crown, is a clear indication of the bodhisattva's identity. Certain features of this head are shared with other Buddhist icons, namely the small indentation in the middle of the forehead, (urna), an auspicious mark from which wisdom radiates, the elongated and rather fleshy earlobes that allude to the aristocratic origins of Buddha's early years as an Indian prince when he wore heavy earrings.The facial expression is softly and naturally rendered. Exploiting the principles of sculptural realism, this large head possesses a voluptuous grace. The head would have beenpletely painted in colors dictated by the conventions of Buddhist art. Traces of the original pigments remain on the crown and face, especially on the mouth. Wearing an elaborate headdressprising floral rosettes, cloud-like wisps and ribbons tied behind the ear, it includes decorative elements found in Buddhist sculpture produced in Shanxi in the sixth century AD.The very particular rounded, almost 'fat' style of carving, the dignified, somewhat haughty expression of the face, are similar in style to heads of bodhisattvas from Cave XVI at Tianlongshan, near Taiyuan in Shanxi, which are dated to the Northern Qi dynasty (550-577 AD), and are similarly carved from a buff sandstone and with traces of polychromie,pare three examples from Cave 16, published in Sun Di (ed.),Tianlongshan shiku: liushi haiwai shiku zaoxiang yanjiu [Tianlongshan Grottoes: Research on the Overseas Stone Statues], Beijing, 2004, p.135, figs.145 and 147, p.139, fig.156.