China, Hebei province, northern Xiangtangshan caves, South cave, Northern Qi dynasty (550-577) / c. 570
Head of Buddha
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Head of Buddha as sculpture (China, Hebei province, northern Xiangtangshan caves, South cave, Northern Qi dynasty (550-577) · c. 570).
This colossal Buddha head is from the Northern Xiangtangshan's South Cave, which is shaped like a stupa with a domed roof and a porch in front.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this sculpture as limestone.
The museum's collection notes: At the Xiangtangshan Buddhist sites in Hebei province, cave-temple construction and image making were supported by the Northern Qi imperial court and nobility. Under the constant shadow of political uncertainty and the theory of the "Law of the Decadence" (or mofa , the deterioration of the True Law after the historical Buddha’s attainment of nirvana), the Buddhist faith was embraced as the ideal for rulership. The Buddha’s smile offers reassurance and consolation.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtHead of BuddhaOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.