For a comparable example, consider the Tang dynasty white marble head of Guanyin featured in Juliano's Buddhist Sculpture from China: Selections from the Xi’an Beilin Museum, Fifth through Ninth Centuries (p. 113, no. 56). Additionally, a Tang dynasty sandstone bodhisattva head from the Tianlongshan complex is discussed in Leidy and Strahan's Wisdom Embodied: Chinese Buddhist and Daoist Sculpture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (pp. 99 and 101, no. 17). Another noteworthy reference is the small white marble Buddha head from the Tang dynasty, presented in Eskenazi's Tang exhibition (June–July 1987, pp. 50–51, no. 25). These works exemplify the artistic excellence of the Tang dynasty and provide context for the significance of our piece.

A white marble head of Guanyin

China: Tang dynasty (618–907)

Height: 3 1/8 in (7.9 cm), metal stand

Provenance: Private Japanese collection