AN IMPORTANT AND RARE WHITE MARBLE TORSO OF BUDDHA MAITREYA, TANG DYNASTY, CIRCA 690-700 AD

Expert’s note: Perhaps the most striking feature of this magnificent marble statue is its realistic portrayal of a seated figure beneath drapery. The remains of his thick neck and developed pectoral muscles are visible above an inner garment that crosses from his left shoulder to the right, secured by a knotted sash. The voluminous outer garment falls in uneven pleats and folds, suggesting the natural effects of gravity as it drapes over the arms, legs, and the front edge of the seat. Even the loop of the knotted belt falls naturally over the outer garment's upper edge.

China, late 7^th to early 8^th century, circa 690-700 AD. Powerfully carved, seated in bhadrasana on a square plinth, his left hand resting on his thigh, wearing voluminous robes elegantly draped over his wide shoulders and broad muscular chest, cascading in deep folds over his pendent legs, falling to the sides of his seat and continuing down his back, the low collar running behind the neck.

Provenance: An old private collection in Europe. Jacques Barrère, Paris, France, acquired from the above by 2005. De Poortere Collection, Belgium, acquired from the above and thence by descent. A noted collector in the Netherlands, acquired from the above via the local trade. A copy of an expertise written and signed by Jacques Barrère, dated 30 January 2005, confirming the dating above, accompanies this lot. In this expertise, the statue is described as “Calcaire” (limestone), which is not incorrect, because limestone is the parent rock of marble, forming through metamorphism under high pressure and temperature conditions. The Jacques Barrère Gallery is located in the heart of Paris, in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district. Since 1969, it has held exhibitions to promote and preserve Far-Eastern art. The gallery specializes in Chinese sculpture, archaeology, ceramics and decorative arts, as well as Japanese works of art and porcelain. Statuary art from Gandhara, India or South-East Asia is also regularly displayed. Objects once owned by Barrère are now in major museums around the world, including the Guimet, the Cernuschi, and the Shanghai Museum. The Barrère gallery is a regular exhibitor at TEFAF in Maastricht.
Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Expected old wear, signs of weathering and erosion, encrustations, remnants of ancient pigment, small nicks, chips, and obvious losses. The surface with a silky appearance overall, a natural patina, and presenting exceptionally well.

Dimensions: Height 66 cm (the marble figure) and 170 cm (incl. stand)

With a fitted metal stand, built around 20 years ago. (2)

Maitreya, in Buddhist tradition, is both a bodhisattva and the future successor of the historical Buddha once he descends from the Tushita Heaven. As a bodhisattva, he was typically depicted in royal regalia, wearing a crown and regal robes. But during the revival of the cult of Maitreya in the 7^th century, he began to be depicted as the future successor of Buddha, wearing monastic robes.

The present lot depicts the Maitreya of the future as the one and only successor of Buddha. This messianic rendition began being depicted during the Six Dynasties on into the Tang dynasty. Maitreya sits with his legs straight rather than folded, which distinguishes him from Shakyamuni, Amitabha, and Vairocana.

A most impressive example for the interest in the cult of Maitreya during the Tang dynasty is the huge seated figure of the Future Buddha Maitreya in cave 565 at Longmen, commissioned by the eminent abbot Huijian. The dedicatory inscription dated 673 places its construction during the reign of the emperor Gaozong (650-683) and his wife Wu Zetian (684-704), who usurped the throne as Emperor of the second Zhou dynasty and proclaimed herself as an incarnation of the future Buddha Maitreya in 690. Professor Angela Howard identifies an idealized realism in the full chest and strong limbs discernible beneath the incised robes of this Maitreya (see A. Howard, Wu Hong, Li Song, and Yang Hong, Chinese Sculpture, 2006, Yale University, pp. 298, 301, fig. 3.108). This realism is also evident in the full chest of the present lot, thus enabling a dating to circa 690-700 AD.

The present lot compares favorably with carvings found in the Tianlongshan caves, located near Taiyuan in Shansi. In her 1975 article, Professor Marilyn Rhie suggested that work on Cave XXI could have started as early as 703 and continued through the reign of the Emperor Xuanzong (713-756; Archives of Asian Art, vol. 28, 1975, p. 6-33). Professor Howard aptly described their striking realism: 'The art of Tianlongshan is more secular than that of any other Tang site of the early eighth century, to the extent that the holiness of the image is undermined' (see Howard, Chinese Sculpture, p. 309).

The nipple on the right chest of the Tianlongshan Buddha Maitreya, housed in the Tokyo National Museum (see Literature comparison below), like that on the present lot, reflect this secular nature of sculpture from the region. Together with statues from the Longmen caves, these figures produced during the late sixth to early seventh century represent some of the finest Chinese Buddhist sculpture produced in the Tang period.

Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related sandstone figure of Maitreya Buddha, 50.8 cm high, dated ca. 725, on display in the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, accession number 32-65/2. Compare a related sandstone torso of Buddha Maitreya from the Tianlongshan grotto, 62.2 cm high, dated to the 8^th century, in the Tokyo National Museum, accession number TC-449.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams Los Angeles, 22 June 2021, lot 21
Price: USD 350,312 or approx. EUR 388,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A fine and rare marble torso of Maitreya, Tang dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject, material, modeling, and manner of carving. Note the garment knot and the size (80 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's New York, 18 March 2016, lot 1404
Price: USD 905,000 or approx. EUR 1,100,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A superbly carved massive white marble torso of Buddha, early Tang dynasty, late 7^th-8^th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject, material, modeling, and manner of carving. Note the size of 120 cm for the complete statue including the base. The actual size of the torso is similar to the present lot.