Head of a Buddha, Northern Qi dynasty limestone sculpture

A carved limestone head of a Buddha, shown frontal with closed, downcast eyes, a broad nose, and a faint closed-lip smile. Tight rows of snail-shell curls cover the cranium, and a raised ushnisha crowns the top. Dark weathered surface with pale mineral traces and remnants of pigment.

Artist

Unknown

Date

550-577

Medium

Limestone with traces of pigment, from freestanding sculpture

Source

Smithsonian (National Museum of Asian Art)

Size

2152 × 2880 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Asian Art