Seated Buddha with Two Attendants in Niche

A seated Buddha image with an almost completely round head is placed in this stone’s central niche. The sculpture is further characterized by the decorative flow of swirling drapery across his knees. The slightly plump, large standing attendant figures combine with the handling of the central figure to create a triad that emphasizes corporeal volume. The inscription incised on the stone surface above and below the niche states that this is an image of Maitreya dedicated by Huang Haibo and his wife in the first month of 557 of the Northern Qi dynasty. This niche is carved from white marble, the rarest and most valuable type of stone used for Buddhist sculptures in China.