A MAGNIFICENT LIMESTONE HEAD OF GUANYIN, YUAN TO MING DYNASTY China, 14^th century. The brown and gray stone with its distinct gray striations is deeply carved to depict Guanyin with a serene and benevolent expression, eyes downcast beneath elegantly arching brows centered by a circular urna, the neatly incised curled hair piled into a topknot and secured by a high-peaked Buddhist tiara with small images of the Amitabha Buddha seated in dhyanasana on a lotus pedestal.

Provenance: From the collection of Karl Stirner, and thence by descent. Karl Stirner (1923-2016) was a German-born American sculptor known internationally for his metalwork. His art has been shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Corcoran Gallery, the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art, the James A. Michener Art Museum, the Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, New Jersey, and the Delaware Art Museum, among other places.
Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age, and exactly as expected of an authentic limestone sculpture from the 14^th century. Extensive wear, weathering, encrustations and erosion. Losses, structural cracks, and minor nicks here and there. Remnants of multiple layers of lacquer and pigments from different periods.

Weight: 18.2 kg (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 34.5 cm (excl. stand), 56.5 cm (incl. stand)

Mounted to a metal and wood stand. (2)

Expert's note: The present sculpture bears the telltale signs of raised edges rubbed smooth, unequivocal testimonials of constant worshipping spanning many centuries, where beholders were gripped with the overt temptation to caress the cheekbones, forehead and nose.

This remarkably beautiful and large head presents the bodhisattva of Compassion and Mercy. The iconography of the god was originally created on Indian soil and brought to China by monks at the beginning of the Christian era. In the early phase of Chinese Buddhism, stone and bronze examples of the god of Compassion followed these Indian iconographic treatises by depicting him as a male god. By the end of the Tang period (618-907) the depiction of Avalokiteshvara or (in Chinese) Guanyin had gradually become feminized to reach a climax during the Song dynasty (960-1279), when the majority had acquired a definite female appearance. During this period of transition, the mercy aspect of the god was emphasized, resulting in these stronger female features. The present, superbly sculpted head shows the pinnacle of this development, which had become the hallmark for all Guanyin representations from then onwards.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's Paris, 13 June 2013, lot 261
Price: EUR 39,900 or approx. EUR 46,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A limestone Guanyin head, China, 14th century
Expert's remark: Note the height of 44 cm.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's New York, 10 May 2018, lot 986
Price: USD 56,250 or approx. EUR 62,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A stone head of Guanyin, China, Ming dynasty (1368-1644)
Expert's remark: Note the height of 25 cm.



元明時期石灰石觀音頭像
中國，十四世紀。灰褐色石料上刻有明顯的灰色條紋，觀音菩薩頭戴五葉冠，冠形繁複，上有阿彌陀佛坐像；臉型豐滿圓潤，雙目低垂，雙眉之間有白毫，表情莊嚴大氣。髮髻高聳。

來源： Karl Stirner私人收藏，保存至今。Karl Stirner (1923-2016年) 是一位出生於德國的美國雕塑家，以其金屬造像而聞名於世。他的藝術作品曾在紐約現代藝術博物館、賓夕法尼亞美術學院、費城藝術博物館、科科倫畫廊、拉霍亞當代美術館、James A. Michener美術館、新澤西州漢密爾頓The Grounds 雕塑舘和特拉華美術館等展出。
品相：品相良好，狀況與年代相符。大面積磨損、風化、結殼和侵蝕。很多缺損、結構裂縫和輕微的劃痕。不同時期的漆彩殘餘。

重量：18.2 公斤 (含底座)
尺寸：高34.5 厘米 (不含底座)，56.5 厘米 (含底座)

木底座，金屬支架。

專家注釋：這件造像帶有明顯的凸起邊緣因爲摩擦而變得光滑的跡象，明確證明了跨越多個世紀的膜拜與使用。觀者不由自主被吸引，想要撫摸顴骨、前額和鼻子。

這件觀音菩薩頭像高大莊嚴。觀音菩薩最初來自印度，由僧侶帶到中國。在中國佛教發展早期階段，這位慈悲之神的造像遵循印度造像，將他描繪為男神。到唐代末期（618-907），觀音形象逐漸女性化，在宋代（960-1279）達到高潮，當時觀音已經明確的成爲女性形象。在這個過渡時期，菩薩的仁慈得到了強調，從而產生了更強烈的女性特徵。這件頭像雕刻精美，顯然已達到頂峰。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：巴黎佳士得，2013年6月13日，lot 261
價格：EUR 39,900（相當於今日EUR 46,000）
描述：十四世紀石灰石觀音頭像
專家評論：請注意高44 厘米。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2018年5月10日，lot 986
價格：USD 56,250（相當於今日EUR 62,000）
描述：明代觀音頭石雕
專家評論：請注意高25 厘米。