A carved and inscribed marble Buddhist panel, Tang dynasty
Lot 161. A carved and inscribed marble Buddhist panel, Tang dynasty (618-907); 43 by 37 cm. Lot sold: 819,000 HKD (Estimate: 500,000 - 700,000 HKD). © Sotheby's 2022
the heavy marble plaque of rectangular form, carved in high relief and depicting the early life of the Buddha, incised in the upper register with three characters reading Guangyancheng (Vaishali city), a holy place in Buddha's early life in Central India.
Provenance: R.H. Ellsworth Ltd, New York, 13th April 1993.
Note: The present panel depicts Shakyamuni's first visit to the Indian city of Vaishali, where several monkeys were able to be reborn as human beings and advanced towards enlightenment by offering bowls of honey to the Buddha. The Buddha is portrayed teaching under a bodhi tree, symbolising the foretelling of his nirvana during the second visit to the same city.
Sotheby's. HOTUNG The Personal Collection of the late Sir Joseph Hotung: Part 1, Hong Kong, 9 October 2022