A POLYCHROME STUCCO FRESCO FRAGMENT, YUAN TO MING DYNASTY China, 1279-1644. The rectangular panel painted with two celestial maidens, one playing the pipa and the other the cymbals, wearing elaborate headdresses and long flowing robes, richly adorned in jewelry, the arm and flute of a third musician can be seen towards the left edge, all painted in polychrome pigments highlighting the gilded ornamentation with gesso relief. Provenance: From an old Canadian private estate. A noted collector, acquired from the above. Condition: Laid down on a wooden base, otherwise in original and unrestored condition. Losses, wear, weathering, cracks and erosion. Dimensions: Size 113.5 x 52 cm The style of painting in this fresco recalls that of the mid-eighth century temple painting style. Largely ignored by the court and literati circles, this 'flowing water and scudding clouds' (xingyun liushui) manner, reminiscent of the Tang dynasty painter Wu Daozi, was ideal for painting religious figures. Unlike earlier modes stressing precise contours, the whirling spiritual energy of this brushwork gives the impression of qi, or inner life. This animated style has been popular with builders and decorators of Buddhist temples ever since. Literature comparison: Compare the sculpture and murals in Cave 57 of the Mogao grottos at Dunhuang, illustrated in Roderick Whitfield et. al., Cave Temples of Mogao, Art and History on the Silk Road, Los Angeles, 2000, p. 37, as well as the murals of bodhisattva in caves 172 and 199, illustrated in Chang Shuhong, The Art Treasures of Dunhuang, Hong Kong and New York, 1981, paying close attention to the garments and ornamentation of the figures. Auction result comparison: Compare with a closely related, but smaller fresco fragment with a single celestial maiden, at Sotheby's New York, Important Chinese Art, 11 September 2019, lot 816, sold for USD 37,500. 元至明代壁畫石膏浮雕殘片 中國，1279-1644年。長方形殘片上描繪著兩位天女，一個在演奏琵琶，另一個在演奏鈸。她們身著飾有精美的珠寶的長袍，頭戴珠冠。從左邊緣可以看到第三位音樂家的手臂和長笛。色彩明艷，突出了帶有浮雕的金彩裝飾。 來源：加拿大私人遺產。一位知名藏家，購於上述收藏。 品相：木底裝幀，除此之外為原始未修補狀態。缺損，磨損，風化，裂縫和腐蝕。 尺寸：113.5 x 52 厘米 拍賣結果比較：一件相近但更小的、並只有一位天女的殘片見紐約蘇富比Important Chinese Art拍場2019年9月11日 lot 816, 售價USD 37,500.