CARVED LIMESTOME FIGURE OF SEATED BODHISATTVA MAITREYA
NORTHERN QI DYNASTY
北齊 石灰岩雕交腳彌勒菩薩像 帶金屬底座seated crossed-leg on an upturned lotus base, crisply carved with a serene face backed by a nimbus, the eyes half open in contemplation, a scalloped hairline topped by a beaded headdress and secured by a band, clad in a high dhoti knotted at the front adorned with elaborate jewellery, his left hand in varada mudra, both feet revealing under the draped robe stepped on a smaller lotus base, mounted on solid metal base 
31cm high; 41cm high including the metal base 
Private English collection, acquired from Martin Fung Antiques, Hong Kong (蘭亭閣) on 19th November 2009, with an original invoice 
The present figure displays several stylistic features typical of the Northern Chinese sculptural tradition dating to the sixth century, where emphasis was placed towards the volume of the body, evident here in the stocky upper body and the folds of the robe, gently cascading towards the bottom of the body. The Northern Qi dynasty (550-577) was one of the most vibrant periods in the history of Chinese art, especially in the context of Buddhist art, which experienced a glorious moment following the contamination of foreign ideas and styles.Images of cross-legged Bodhisattva Maitreya are mostly found in large grottoes such as Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, Yungang Grottoes, and Longmen Grottoes. Most of them appeared during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534). The closest examples are the Maitreya statues in Caves 5 and 25 at Yungang, Shanxi Province. An early example is the Maitreya in Cave 275 at Dunhuang, which dates to the early fifth century. All these statues share the same attributes, a seated posture with crossed legs, a crown with a Buddha image, and the right hand held upright with the palm facing forward in a gesture of allaying fears (abhaya mudra).A Northern Qi dynasty Bodhisattva Maitreya sculpture, comparable in cross-legged feature and style, was unearthed from the Xiude Temple site in Quyang, Hebei Province in 1953-1954 and dated to 551AD according to the inscription, is in the collection of the Palace Museum Beijing, collection number Xin新42912.