Fiftieth Anniversary Exhibition
4 November - 30 November, 2010
Twelve Masterpieces of Chinese Art, of Porcelain, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Stone, from the 10th century BC to the Yongzheng reign (1723-1735).
Limestone carving of an Apsaras
Northern Wei period, early 6th century
This sculpture is of an apsaras, or heavenly being in a lively pose, wearing the floating garments that denote it would have been positioned as 'flying', carved out of the high wall or ceiling of a cave temple. It was almost certainly carved for one of the Northern Wei Buddhist cave temples at Longmen where work began in the very late fifth century.
Height: 54.5cm