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Plate 17.14 Standing bodhisattva, Yongle mark and period, Plate 17.15 Standing bodhisattva, Yongle mark and period,
1403–24. Gilded bronze, height 145cm. Qinghai Provincial Museum 1403–24. Gilded bronze, height 136cm, width 45cm, length 66cm.
Musée Cernuschi, Paris, bequeathed by Pauline Tarn/Renée Vivien,
1909, M. C. 5173
mixture of Kagyü and Sakya imagery is found in this hall, Thus this image was known as a miraculously self-arisen
indicating these are also original early 15th-century image (rang ’byung), a special class of sacred image within
paintings, most dramatically represented by a Karmapa Tibetan tradition, sent west by the court as an offering to
(Pl. 17.13). This is most likely the Fifth Karmapa previously Qutan Monastery’s abbot.
discussed. At the time of the hall’s construction, the abbot of Qutan Monastery was once well appointed with such
Qutan Monastery is recorded as having been the Fifth gilt bronzes (Pl. 17.14) produced at the Ming court, as
Karmapa’s personal disciple and translator at the Ming evidenced by a near life-sized bodhisattva with a Yongle
court. reign mark (1403–24), most likely one of the Eight Great
A brief account of the casting of Baoguang Hall’s central Bodhisattvas which once flanked a central triad. These are
image, a gilt-bronze Buddha, is given in the Imperial Bestowal recorded as created in imperial workshops and sent west,
of Qutan Monastery’s Golden Buddha Image Stele (Yuzhi Qutansi suggesting a pattern of other statuary, and gives some
jinfoxiang bei 御制瞿曇寺金佛像碑), dated 1418. In this potential context to the nearly identical sculpture (Pl.
inscription Yongle evokes the image of King Indrabhūti of 17.15) in the Musée Cernuschi as well. The trilingual
Oḍḍiyāna – the Indian historical model of devout rule. Yongle reign date inscriptions on both sculptures in
Enhancing the aura of piety in the emperor’s act is a story Chinese, Sanskrit and Tibetan are unusual and reinforce
familiar to the making of sacral images across traditions, their close connection.
designed to increase the efficacy of the image:
Though the artisans worked for a long time they could not Third stage of construction (1427)
complete it, until one day when they went out for food, leaving The History of the Dharma in Amdo goes on to describe the
the workshop deserted, the divine body manifested itself. This third stage of construction and ornamentation of Qutan
frightened and amazed everyone and was seen as a magical Monastery nine years later in 1427:
manifestation of the powers by the buddhas and bodhisattvas, After that, on the walls are pictures of the rainbows that
thus completing the work in a single casting. 43
variously appeared like globes, pillars and wheel spokes when

160 | Ming China: Courts and Contacts 1400–1450