Page 129 - Christie's Hong Kong Important Chinese Works Of Art May 30 2022

The distinguishing characteristic of most Buddhas—whether Although Tibetan Buddhist imagery began to appear in the repertory
Shakyamuni, Amitabha, the Medicine Buddha, or Vairocana, for of Chinese art already in the Yuan dynasty, Tibetan influence on
example—is the ushnisha, or cranial protuberance atop the head, Chinese Buddhist art became far more pronounced in the Ming
that symbolizes the expanded wisdom that the Buddha gained at his dynasty (1368–1644), particularly during the Yongle era (1403–1424),
enlightenment; in fact, it serves as a Buddha’s diagnostic iconographic when the imperial court looked favorably upon Buddhism and
feature as only Buddhas possess an ushnisha. As a Buddha, Vajradhara made a concerted effort to build secular and religious alliances
of course has an ushnisha; however, as he is presented in the trappings with Tibet, even inviting Tibetan monks to the capital, Beijing,
of a bodhisattva, the bun of hair atop his head conceals his ushnisha to conduct religious services. Such Tibetan influence manifests
from view. itself in the sensuousness of the art, as witnessed in this figure’s
elegant proportions, benevolent countenance, dazzling jewels, refined
An attribute of a deity—and often incorrectly termed a “third eye” gestures, abundant and meticulously rendered details, and compressed
or even a caste mark—the urna is the curl of white hair between double-lotus base. As important as Tibetan-influenced works of art
the Buddha’s eyebrows from which issues a ray of light illuminating were early in fifteenth-century China, particularly in the Yongle
all worlds. Though technically defined as a curl of hair, the urna is and Xuande (1426–1435) reigns, Tibetan-style Buddhism was little
usually portrayed in gilt-bronze sculptures as a relief, cabochon jewel, practiced outside the imperial court, so most such images likely were
in this instance, as a jewel in teardrop form. Due to frequent touching made for the court, as indicated by the imperial inscriptions.
by worshippers, the urna has lost much of its gilding, as has the tip of
the nose. The gilded surfaces not only make the sculpture appropriate The figure’s broad shoulders, smooth torso, and long legs derive
for representing a deity but symbolize the light that, according to the from Indian traditions, as do the thin clothing and such items of
sacred texts, or sutras, radiates from the deity’s body. jewelry as the bracelets, armbands, and anklets. By contrast, the large
circular earrings and the broad, squarish face with high cheekbones,
The Tibeto-Chinese style of this sculpture evolved from a long artistic fleshy cheeks, and elegantly curved eyebrows stem from Nepali
tradition that can be traced to northeastern India in the eleventh and and Tibetan traditions. Excepting its numerous turquoise inlays,
twelfth centuries and that subsequently spread to Nepal and Tibet. a fourteenth-century, Nepalese sculpture of Vajradhara in the Museum
The flowering of the Nepali variant of the style in China during the Rietberg, Zurich (Inventory Number Inv.-Nr. BA 21), represents the
Yuan dynasty (1279–1368) is often linked to the influence of Anige type of Himalayan sculpture that likely inspired the present image
(1245–1306), a young Nepali artist who was brought to Beijing in 1262 of Vajradhara.
by Drogön Chogyal Phagpa (1235–1280), an influential Tibetan monk
of the Sakya sect and state preceptor for Kublai Khan (1215–1294), the Numerous sculptures in this Nepali-Tibetan-influenced style were
founder of the Yuan dynasty. Anige played a key role at the Mongol produced during the Yongle reign, and the style continued through
court, serving as the director of all artisan classes and the controller of the fifteenth and into the sixteenth century with but little change or
the Imperial Manufactories Commission.

金剛總持以菩薩之姿示現，衣著華美，頭頂氣勢磅礴的高髻，長髮披散肩上，髮髻由一綹髮紥起，其頂有寶珠，稱摩尼
寶珠，幼細的捲髮從前額的髮線沿至太陽穴和頸背。身為本初佛，金剛總持頭戴八葉寶冠，冠葉垂直並以寶石裝飾，
與一般菩薩只有五片朝上的冠葉形成對比。八葉寶冠象徵佛陀由八正道證悟，不再輪迴，就此不入生死流轉。造像腰圍
華美絲緞所織的裝飾性布帶（多提），全身戴臂鐲、手環、腳鍊與一條條長珠鍊等珠寶，以及反映出其尼泊爾起源風格
的大型圓耳環，冠飾上的緞帶彷彿微風吹彿在耳邊飄動。

釋迦牟尼佛、阿彌陀佛、藥師佛、毘盧遮那佛（大日如來）等大多數佛的明顯特徵為其肉髻（佛頂），為一種顱頂的
隆起，象徵佛陀在修成菩提後智慧的擴展。事實上，肉髻為佛陀獨有的徵相，可用來辨別佛像。而金剛總持自然也
有肉髻，然而因其以菩薩形象示現，肉髻藏在髮髻中。

白毫是佛菩薩之一相，為眉間白毛，放出光芒照耀十方法界，但常被誤稱為「第三眼」或種姓標記。雖然在定義上是一
撮白毛，但白毫在銅鎏金造像中通常以浮雕或圓形寶石呈現，在本件中為一顆淚珠狀的寶石。由於信徒頻繁的觸摸，
佛像白毫和鼻尖的鍍金已被磨到所剩無幾。雕塑的鍍金表面不僅與佛菩薩的身份相稱，更代表佛經中其身上散發的
光明。

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