A finely modelled Chinese, Northern Wei, rectangular ceramic brick, featuring the nimbate image of Buddha. The figure, rendered in high-relief, is depicted draped and standing on a lotus base with the left hand raised, possibly holding a lotus flower, and the right by his side. The facial features, although partly worn from age, feature a calm, contemplative expression. His hair is styled into a high bun with an aureola behind his head and draped fabric clothes the body. The figure is placed in an ogival arched niche. The reverse and sides are unadorned and chipped with age. The Northern Wei reform contributed greatly to an amalgamation of art and culture in sixth-century China. This was manifested in painting, calligraphy, the funerary and decorative arts, and in the style of the cave-temples at Longmen in Henan Province. It was during the Northern Wei Dynasty that Buddhism was first introduced to China and from then became inextricably intertwined with Chinese culture – Over 30,000 Buddhist images dating from the Northern Wei Dynasty have been found to date. Measurements: approximately L 29.5cm x W 14.3cm x D 5.3cm Provenance: Ex London, UK, collection, 1990.