Large-scale wooden sculptures dating to the Song period were commonly found in northern China, less frequently so in the south, though this may be due to later persecutions of Buddhism in southern China rather than religious preferences. The British Museum image was found in Shanxi, a center of Buddhist activity, and the site of Wutai-shan, one of the four sacred mountains of Chinese Buddhism.¹  The provenance of the Seattle Art Museum is not known, although its style closely resemblance that of the Tang period, particularly the fleshy facial features and columnar body. This stylistic similarity with the British Museum example, as well as the virtually identical proportions and pose, may indicate that the Seattle image is also the product of northern China (perhaps even of the Jin dynasty), since this is where this style was most commonly pursued. Though the facial features are somewhat different, the British Museum image has been extensively repainted, and does reflect the original Song-era style and color scheme.

(1) From the British Museum web page dedicated to this object.