Lot 850. A painted wood figure of a seated monk, Song dynasty (960-1279); 9 ¾ in. (24.8 cm.) high. Estimate USD 6,000 - USD 8,000. © Christie's Image Ltd 2019.
Possibly representing the Tang dynasty monk, Sizhou Dasheng (the Grand Saint of Sizhou), the figure is shown seated in contemplation wearing a monastic, hooded robe that drapes gracefully over the edges of the pedestal seat, with traces of original pigment remaining.
Property from the Collection of Julia and John Curtis.
Provenance: J. J. Lally & Co., New York, February 1996.
Note: For a discussion of the Tang dynasty monk Sizhou Dasheng, see Denise Patry Leidy and Donna Strahan, Wisdom Embodied. Chinese Buddhist and Daoist Sculpture in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2010, pp. 126-29, no. 28.
Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, New York, 13 September 2019