拍賣筆記 vol.244 邦瀚斯香港：戴潤齋，北魏佛首 - Bonhams HK, J.T.Tai, Northern Wei Limestone Head of Buddha

這件作品2011年蘇富比紐約戴潤齋專場賣出19.45萬美元，隨後2025年於蘇富比charter house新空間展覽，整體對比2011年有多處修復。參考《北朝筆記 vol.12 戴潤齋（J.T.Tai）的佛像雕塑：北魏或以後，對比龍門石窟、瓊肯三世 - The Eye of A Legendary Dealer, J.T.Tai Buddha Head Northern Wei or Later, in Comparison with Longmen Grottoes, Stephen Junkunc III.》

The piece was sold at Sotheby’s New York in 2011 during the J.T. Tai (Dai Runzhai) single-owner sale for USD 194,500. It was later exhibited in Sotheby’s Charter House new space in 2025, by which time several restorations and repairs were evident in comparison with its 2011 condition. For further discussion and stylistic comparison with sculptures from the Longmen Grottoes and the Stephen Junkunc III collection, see Northern Notes vol. 12: “The Eye of a Legendary Dealer — J.T. Tai Buddha Head, Northern Wei or Later.”

北魏 石灰岩佛首

拍品 220

Northern Wei Dynasty

MORPHOSIS: CHINESE SCULPTURES THROUGH THE AGES

29 10月 2025, 11:00 HKT

香港太古廣場六座

HK$2,600,000 - HK$3,600,000

US$330,000 - US$460,000

來源:

Nagatani Inc，芝加哥，1967年

戴潤齋，紐約

紐約蘇富比，2011年3月22日，拍品編號264

出版:

仇國仕，《無盡意》攝影集，香港蘇富比，2018年，圖63

香港蘇富比，《菩提：佛教藝術萃珍》，香港，2024年，頁39-42

此尊石灰岩佛首，面相瘦長，雙眉彎弧如新月，細長鳳眼輕闔，鼻樑寬挺如峰，唇珠微抿含笑，垂肩長耳舒展如蓮，肉髻高聳層疊整齊，整體刀法於剛健中見圓融。石質呈溫潤青灰色，皮殼瑩潤，歷千年風化尤顯從容氣度。本拍品面容特徵深具河南龍門地區典型風格，其飽滿體量與內斂笑意構成動人對比，將北魏特有的「古拙之笑」凝於石中，完美平衡材料厚度與審美細膩，實為北魏佛教藝術中兼具歷史深度與收藏價值的標本級珍品。

北魏時期，國家對佛教的大力扶持，促使佛教在中國北方迅速傳播。拓跋氏原為西北遊牧民族，並非佛教徒，然其以佛教為政治統一之紐帶，將佛陀視為「外邦神祇」而虔誠供奉。據史料記載，西元335年一位非漢族統治者曾言：「吾等生於邊陲，雖不配位，然順應天命統御中原......佛陀既為外邦神祇，正當為吾等所崇奉」。至西元477年，華北地區已建有佛寺六千四百七十八所，僧尼逾七萬眾；參見A. Paluduan《Chinese Sculpture: A Great Tradition》，芝加哥，1996年，頁187。

北魏統治者自視為佛陀化身，大規模開鑿石窟營造佛龕，敕造石雕造像以莊嚴道場。孝文帝敕建之龍門石窟，即為此佛教藝術巔峰之見證，薈萃中國佛教造像最精華之作。龍門石窟成就北魏藝術之極致，究其因由：一則當地石質優良，鄰近中原雕塑中心洛陽；二則受南朝繪畫技法之浸潤。龍門造像特徵鮮明，身形纖細，雙肩斜溜，五官精緻，尤以宛如蝶翼的彎眉最為經典，開創「秀骨清像」之美學典範。此尊佛首正是龍門風格之完美體現，其蝶形彎眉與清癯面相，凝聚了北魏漢化過程中的藝術精髓，實為佛教東傳與胡漢文化融合之重要物證。

可參照數例重要博物館藏之龍門造像：參考北魏龍門石窟佛首一例，載於R.Y.Lefebvre d'Argencé，《Chinese, Korean, and Japanese Sculpture: The Avery Brundage Collection》，三藩市，1974年，圖版30；再比對一例，見S.Di，《海外藏中國佛教造像珍品》，北京，2005年，卷一，頁167。另見兩尊北魏菩薩首像，載於喜龍仁，《Chinese Sculpture》，曼谷，1998年，卷一，圖版113A及113B（據1925年版重印）。紐約大都會藝術博物館藏六世紀早期菩薩首像，可資比較，館藏編號18.56.40。再參考一尊北魏六世紀早期石灰岩佛首，售於香港蘇富比，1997年4月29-30日，拍品編號710。

AN EXCEPTIONAL AND RARE LIMESTONE HEAD OF BUDDHA

Northern Wei Dynasty

Precisely and expertly sculpted with a benevolent smile, accentuated by subtly arched eyebrows, narrow, heavy-lidded eyes, a sharply defined nose and pursed lips, with elongated pendulous ears gracefully framing the face, the hair elegantly swept up into a distinguished ushnisha, the stone with an attractive smooth patina in a soft grey tone, wood stand.

36.8 cm high (2).

Provenance:

Nagatani Inc., Chicago, 1967

J.T. Tai & Co., New York

Sotheby's New York, 22 March 2011, lot 264

Published:

N. Chow, The Literati Aesthetic, Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2018, fig.63

Sotheby's Hong Kong, Bodhi: Masterpieces of Monumental Buddhist Art, Hong Kong, 2024, pp.39 – 42

The present sculpture captivates the viewer with its striking features, masterfully evoking the elegance of Buddhist figures crafted at Longmen, Henan Province, during the illustrious Northern Wei dynasty. Its elongated and graceful head, thoughtfully arched brows, and pronounced broad nose converge harmoniously, while the neatly arranged hair over the ushnisha exudes a sense of serene majesty. Each element of this exquisite work reflects the exceptional artistry of its time, inviting admiration and reverence for the cultural heritage it embodies.

During the Northern Wei dynasty, state sponsorship of Buddhism played a crucial role in the religion's proliferation throughout Northern China. The ruling Tuoba, a nomadic group, initially embraced Buddhism as a means of political cohesion. As articulated by one non-Han ruler in AD 335, the adoption of Buddhism served a dual purpose, aligning with their identity as leaders of the Han Chinese populace. By AD 477, Northern China boasted approximately 6,478 Buddhist temples and over 70,000 monastic practitioners, highlighting the religion's significant expansion during this period, as noted by A. Paluduan in Chinese Sculpture: A Great Tradition, Chicago, 1996, p. 187.

The Northern Wei rulers increasingly identified themselves as Buddha incarnate and embarked on the commissioning of stone sculptures to adorn caves and cliff shrines dedicated to Buddhism. The Longmen grottoes, established by Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei dynasty, host some of the finest examples of Chinese Buddhist art. At Longmen, the Northern Wei style reached its zenith, attributed to several factors including the superior quality of local stone, Luoyang's status as a center for classical Chinese sculpture, and the influence of developments in Southern dynasties' painting. Sculptural figures from Longmen are typically characterised by slender forms with sloping shoulders and delicate features, such as the signature curved "butterfly" eyebrows.

See a related example of a stone head from the Longmen site, Northern Wei dynasty, illustrated by R.Y. Lefebvre d'Argencé, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese Sculpture: The Avery Brundage Collection, San Francisco, 1974, pl. 30; another example is illustrated by S. Di, Comprehensive Illustrated Catalogue of Chinese Buddhist Statues in Overseas Collections, vol. 1, Beijing, 2005, p. 167. See also two related stone heads of bodhisattvas, Northern Wei dynasty, illustrated by O. Siren, Chinese Sculpture, vol.I, Bangkok, 1998, pls. 113A and 113B (reprinted from the 1925 edition). Another head of a bodhisattva, early 6th dynasty, is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, acc. no. 18.56.40. Further see an example of a limestone head of Buddha, Northern Wei dynasty, early 6th century, sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 29 - 30 April 1997, lot 710.