Page 50 - Bonhams Olivier Collection Early Chinese Art November 2018

Elegantly proportioned and realistically carved, the present lot well 菩薩二像開臉祥和，體態豐腴，皆盤坐，外罩薄衫，垂墜自然，頸佩
illustrates the fine craftsmanship of Song dynasty carvers. The 瓔珞，手部佚失，法印不可辨識，髮髻和寶冠各有不同，一作盤雲
benevolent facial expressions, depicted by plump cheeks, downcast 髻，頂帶寶瓶冠，一作束髮，頭頂寶月花冠。
eyes and gentle smiles, together with free flowing draperies intricately
sculpted by fine folds and contours, suggest that the present pair of 從髮冠判斷，此對菩薩像或為淨土宗的觀世音菩薩和大勢至菩薩，最
figures depict Avalokiteshvara, also known as Guanyin, the benevolent 初可能陳列於供台上，分列於阿彌陀佛像兩側，組成典型說法場景。
Goddess of Mercy. 淨土宗開山於唐代，是禪宗之外，影響東亞諸國最深遠的佛教宗派。
阿彌陀佛和觀世音菩薩、大勢至菩薩的三聖組合，基於無量壽經對西
Venerated in Indian Buddhism as the embodiment of the Compassion 方極樂世界的描繪，是淨土宗寺廟最常見的造像組合。
of the Buddha, Avalokiteshvara (known as Guanyin in China) is
described in the ‘Lotus Sutra’, as capable of hearing all mankind, 紐約大都會藏有一件宋代木雕觀世音像可資參考，見D.PLeidy及
striving endlessly to help those offering prayers, transforming at will D.Stratham著，《Wisdom Embodied. Chinese Buddhist and Daoist
and appearing in more than thirty human guises to expound Buddhist Sculpture in The Metropolitan Museum of Art（大都會博物館藏中國
teaching to devotees. 佛道造像）》，紐約，2010年，編號27，頁125；三藩市埃弗里·
布倫戴奇收藏一件類似觀音像，亦資比較，見R.Y.d’Argence 著，
The present pair of figures would most likely have stood on an altar, 《Chinese, Korean and Japanese Sculpture in the Avery Brundage
venerated in connection with religious beliefs concerning the devotee’s Collection（埃弗里·布倫戴奇收藏中日韓造像）》，三藩市，1974
rebirth in the blissful Pure Land presided over by Amithaba Buddha. 年，圖版145。另可比較香港蘇富比2013年10月8日售出一件南宋木
Introduced into China from India during the 2nd century AD, ‘Pure 雕觀音像，拍品3074號。
Land’ Buddhism was based on the belief that Amitabha granted
rebirth of the dead in his wondrous realm to whoever meditated on
him through chanting and prostration. The three main scriptures
forming the core of the Pure Land teachings, namely the ‘Sutra of the
Buddha of Immeasurable Life’, the ‘Sutra of Visualizing the Buddha
of Immeasurable Life’, and the ‘Amitabha Sutra’, all refer to Amitabha
and Guanyin as capable of liberating the devotees from the Wheel of
Samsara and allowing them entry into the Pure Land where they finally
attained enlightenment.

As ‘Pure Land’ Buddhism grew in popularity during the 6th century,
probably in response to the contemporaneous political instability and
the resulting preoccupation with attaining enlightenment during such
a perilous time, so did the prominence of Avalokiteshvara as ‘the
supreme saviour of all beings’.

Compare with a related wood figure of Avalokiteshvara, Song dynasty,
in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, illustrated by D.PLeidy
and D.Stratham, Wisdom Embodied. Chinese Buddhist and Daoist
Sculpture in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2010,
no.27, p.125. Another example in the Avery Brundage Collection,
San Francisco, is illustrated by R.Y.d’Argence, Chinese, Korean and
Japanese Sculpture in the Avery Brundage Collection, San Francisco,
1974, pl.145.

A related but larger wood figure of Avalokiteshvara, Southern Song
dynasty, was sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 8 October 2013, lot 3074.

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