{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O129249"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O129249/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009CB5909/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009CB5909/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2009CB5909","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009BY6828","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2015HP3850","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KA4214","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB3310","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O129249/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O129249","accessionNumber":"A.98-1927","objectType":"Buddha Head","titles":[{"title":"Buddha head","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Traces of pigment accentuate the eyebrows, eyes and mouth of this huge head. The hairstyle is typical of the historical Buddha Sakyamuni, with tight curls and the prominent usnisa or topknot. The mark on the forehead, expressing wisdom and openness, originally incorporated an impressive jewel. Once part of a monumental figure in a cave complex, the head would have looked down from high. Its symmetrical composition and serene expression would have inspired Buddhist followers standing below.","physicalDescription":"Large 3-dimensional rounded face/head of Buddha, fractured at the chin. There is colour visible on his lips, eyes and eyebrows, and his mouth is closed. His eyes look downwards. He has high arched brows, bobbled hair with an ushnisha (bun hairstyle). The eyebrows are curved in a butterfly shape, a Chinese sign of beauty, and the symmetrical composition and serene expression expresses Buddhist ideals - the renunciation of worldly desires and the attainment of enlightenment.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"limestone","id":"AAT11286"}],"techniques":[{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Carved grey limestone with traces of pigment","categories":[{"text":"Buddhism","id":"THES48984"},{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"},{"text":"Stoneware","id":"THES48890"}],"styles":[{"text":"Northern Qi","id":"AAT18405"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"EAS","id":"THES48596"},"images":["2009CB5909","2009BY6828","2015HP3850","2017KA4214","2017KB3310"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"47F","id":"THES49793"},"free":"","case":"WS","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Buddha head","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Hebei","id":"x29891"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"possibly"},{"place":{"text":"Xiangtangshan","id":"x40470"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"possibly"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"550-577","earliest":"0550-01-01","latest":"0577-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Presented by Art Fund","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"90","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"65","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"40","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Weight","value":"255","unit":"kg","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"14/01/2015","earliest":"2015-01-14","latest":"2015-01-14"},"part":"","note":"incl. pallet and bracket"}],"dimensionsNote":"Over 1m in diameter. Difficult to measure due to height at which it is currently hung.","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Loaned to Burlington House Fair Exhibition Sept. 9-20, 1987, Royal Academy of Arts. A similar sculpture is A.27-1914, and there are also similar works at Philadelphia University and Cologne. It would have been part of an entire figure, and displayed high up.\n\nHistorical significance: This piece is probably from the Xiangtangshan cave complex in northern China, of which the sculptures were scattered across international collections in the early 20th century.  A Project was established to create a digital reconstruction of what the cave complex would have looked like (see references).\n","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Buddha head, carved grey limestone with traces of pigment, probably from Xiangtangshan, Hebei province, China, Northern Qi dynasty, 550-577.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"\r\nClarke, John: Arts of Asia, vol. 45, no. 5, September - October 2015, \"The Buddha image in Asia: Phase One of the Robert  H. N. Ho Family Foundation Galleries of Buddhist Art\", p.122, pl. 16."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Clarke, John: Buddhist Sculpture, p. 42\r\nOrientations; vol. 40. no. 4; May 2009; The Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation Gallery, Victoria & Albert Museum.\r\n"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Project to create a digital reconstruction of what the cave complex would have looked like: \n\r\nhttp://web.archive.org/web/20230117114544/https://xiangtangshan.uchicago.edu/introduction/"}],"production":"This is probably from the Xiangtangshan cave temples in Northern China.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Buddha, Shakyamuni","id":"N5275"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Head of the Buddha\r\n550–77\r\nNorthern Qi dynasty\r\nXiangtangshan, Hebei, China\r\nLimestone with traces of coloured pigment\r\nXiangtangshan is a vast temple complex hewn out\r\nof a mountainside by local rulers. This stone head was\r\nonce part of a massive, full-bodied sculpture of the\r\nBuddha. Carved directly into the rock face, it would\r\nhave towered above worshippers, inspiring awe and\r\ndeep reverence. On the forehead is a hollow that\r\noriginally contained an impressive jewel.\r\nGiven by The Art Fund\r\nMuseum no. A.98-1927","date":{"text":"1/4/2009","earliest":"2009-04-01","latest":"2009-04-01"}},{"text":"Head of the Buddha\r\nAD 550–577\r\nNorthern Qi dynasty\r\nThis stone head was once part of a massive full-bodied\r\nsculpture from the Buddhist cave temple complex at\r\nXiangtangshan in northern China. The figure was carved\r\ndirectly into the rock face and would have towered above\r\nworshippers inspiring awe and reverence. The idea of\r\ncreating giant Buddha images originated in India and\r\nspread through Central Asia inspiring works such as the\r\nBamiyan Buddhas.\r\nXiangtangshan, Hebei Province, North China\r\nLimestone with traces of coloured pigment\r\nGiven by the Art Fund\r\nMuseum no. A.98-1927\r\n北齐 加彩石佛首\r\n（原置河北响堂山）","date":{"text":"03/08/2015","earliest":"2015-08-03","latest":"2015-08-03"}}],"partNumbers":["A.98-1927"],"accessionNumberNum":"98","accessionNumberPrefix":"A","accessionYear":1927,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LN8329","2019LU1761","2019LW1019"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-11-11","recordCreationDate":"2006-11-16","availableToBook":false}}