Chinese Marble Buddhist Stele

Five figures under a stone curtain, with lions and guardians keeping order below.

This Buddhist stele comes from Hebei Province, China, and dates to the 19th century. It is marble. Hebei has a long history of carving white marble Buddhist images, some of it celebrated. A seated Buddha, one hand raised, sits at the center with two monks and two crowned attendants. A scalloped canopy hangs over the group. In the lower panel, two seated lions flank a pair of standing guardians, separated by slim columns. It stands 25 inches high and 19.75 wide, a mere 4.5 deep.

A small congregation, and not one of them has fidgeted.