A Chinese carved stone head of bodhisattvaPossibly Tang/Liao dynastyThe full face well-carved and polished, with eyes downcast, the hair pulled back into a decorative coiled topknot with a carved blossom, the stone possibly marble, of a warm ivory tone with traces of pigment, with a later wood stand. H: 12 in.PROVENANCE:Acquired in China by the parents of the present owner in the 1930s Thence by descent NOTE: Compare the marble head of the Buddha, dated to the Tang/Liao period, sold at Christie's New York, November 27, 1991, lot 21. These heads share similar arched brows meeting and descending to a finely-ridged nose above delicate lips, the eyes elegantly carved.