Stone Bodhisattva Head
Stone Head
Bodhisattva head chiseled from black stone. Artful hairstyle with a knot and a Tiara.
Object ID
Tang_012
Age
Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 AD)
Material
Stone
Color
black to brown
Width
20 cm
Height
35 cm
Height (Hairstyle)
14.5 cm
Condition
good
Price
on request
Description
Bodhisattva means an entlightened being on the path to virtue perfection and Buddhahood. A Bodhisattva is an intermediary between Buddha who is already transported into Nirvana
and the samsara-world of suffering. He is a religious ideal of the original Buddhism. [1]
This Bodhisattva head is chiseled from black stone symbolizing fearlessness in attaining enlightenment. The face is very expressive. The eyes are slightly slanted and have curved eyelids. The arched eyebrows continue in one line to the base of the nose and end between the broad nostrils. The head wears dignified symbols. Fused eyebrows were a sign of great wisdom. The ears with long lobes are seen as a striking feature of royal dignity. [2] Another special feature is the imaginative hairstyle. Here is the frontpart of the hair carefully combed back over a low forehead. Then it is summarized with a tight band. The rear part of the hair appears in four parts. Two parts belong to the „front-hair“ and are divided and parted behind the band. The lower hair section of the back of the head is also parted and combed in a slanting course. Then the four separate parts of the hairstyle were artfully pinned together at the peak of the back of the head. Overall, a conical structure was created that towered far above the head. This three-dimensional elevation on the upper part of the head is named „Ushnisha“ and symbolizes the achieving of spiritual enlightenment. The frontside of the artful shape was given a tiara. This has a lotus flower as an ornament. (HV)
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