Page 130 - Nov. 27, 2019 Christie's Important Works of Art HK

fig. 1 Collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art fig. 2 Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing
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3036 Continued
This exceptional sculpture depicts the Amitabha Buddha, identified by the Chongsheng Tower was built in the 8th century by the Nanzhao
the dynanamudra, the mudra of meditation, and is one of the Buddhas Kingdom, therefore it is very likely that some of the relics date earlier
of Five Directions, representing the West. The positioning of the than the Dali Kingdom Period. For example, most examples of Acuoye
fingers – in which particular finger touches the thumb -- indicates the Guanyin are now dated to the 12th Century, but it is known that the
level of paradise on which Amitabha is meditating. In this case, the iconography was worshiped since the Nanzhao Kingdom, and its
index fingers are touching the thumbs, indicating that the Buddha is form as illustrated in the Nanzhao Tuzhuan (An illustrated History of
meditating on the upper paradise. The Buddha of Five Directions is Nanzhao, based on an original version dated to 899) is identical to
a favoured subject of the Nanzhao/Dali Kingdoms, who were devout the Dali version, therefore we can surmise that some of the extant
Buddhists and practiced a unique branch of esoteric Buddhism, the examples could very possibly date earlier than the 12th century. If we
Acharya Buddhism. Unusually, the current Buddha wears elaborate compare the current Buddha and the Cleveland example to the 12th
jewellery, both around the upper left arm and the neck, a feature rarely century Buddha in the Shanghai Museum (fig. 3), which has a cast date
found on Chinese Buddhist sculptures. Stylistically the current Buddha corresponding to 1163, it is evident that the Shanghai figure has much
is closely related to the example in the Cleveland Museum (fig. 1), and more Chinese influence, both in the facial features and the treatment
the example in the Beijing Palace Museum (fig. 2), except that the of the robes, and the broad shoulders show influence from Tibet/
Cleveland figure is not wearing any jewellery, and the Palace example Nepal. The arm band he is wearing is also significantly different in
is only wearing a bracelet. The proportion of the Cleveland example is style. In contrast, the robe on the current example is evidently of Gupta
somewhat more elongated and slender, reminiscent of Sui sculptural style prevalent on sculptures from Northern Qi to Tang periods (fig.
style, and the treatment of the robe less refined than that on the current 4), and his facial features have a distinctive local flavor and a pleasant
figure. The dating of the Cleveland Museum figure has clearly posed a disposition missing on the Shanghai example. Similar facial features
challenge to scholars, since it has been variously attributed throughout and treatment to the hair can be seen on the Sakyamuni figure in Cave
the decades to Tang, Five Dynasties, Liao, and more recently the Dali no. 4 of Shizhongsi, Shizhongshan Grottoes (fig. 5), which is dated to
Kingdom. the late Nanzhao/ Early Dali period. The armband on the current figure
is also closer in style to the armband on the stone Buddha excavated
After the discovery of the relics and Buddhist sculptures at the in Weishan (fig. 6), dated to the Nanzhao period. It is therefore likely
Chongsheng Temple in Dali in 1978, many iconographies are now that the current figure dates earlier than the Shanghai example, which
dated to the Dali Kingdom using these pieces as benchmarks. would place it in the early Dali period, or even earlier.
However, none of the discovered sculptures have inscribed date, and

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