Page 158 - China, 5000 years : innovation and transformation in the arts

corresponds to the year 471. The soft modeling and
conspicuous parallel folds of the drapery suggest
that the sculptor intended to transfer the qualities of One of his characteristic attributes is the ancient
a molded clay prototype into stone carving, which
may reflect stylistic influences from Taxila in
Gandhara (in present-day Pakistan) or Bamiyan in
Afghanistan.
A great variety of freestanding Buddhist sculptures
have been preserved from the Tang dynasty
(618-907). One of the finest works is the white
marble torso of a standing bodhisattva that was
excavated in the old precincts of Daminggong, the
Tang imperial "Palace of Great Brightness," in Xi'an
(cat. 165). Only traces of gold and colors remain on
the polished stone surface. The attractively rounded,
swelling forms of the body and the pliant pose
imbue this statue with the sensuous and tactile
beauty that so emphatically marks Tang sculpture at
its zenith, about the middle of the eighth century.
The triple-bend posture, or tribhahga, suggesting a
gentle sway at the hips, demonstrates the sculptor's
interest in organic movement. At the same time this
torso shows the influence of India's mature Gupta
art. An elegant scarf across the naked chest and a
dhoti covering the lower body are draped in
graceful folds and pleats that closely follow the
Aforms of the body. precious necklace contributes
to the effects of elegant courtly refinement,
splendor, and grandeur.
A totally different stylistic approach is seen in a
nearly contemporaneous sandstone torso of a
powerful guardian figure (cat. 168). This statue was
excavated in 1954 at the site of the Tang dynasty
Jingzhong Temple (known as Wanfo Temple in late
Han times) at Chengdu, in Sichuan Province. The
threatening attitude of the robust guardian deity and
his physical dynamism testify to his role as protector
of the sanctuary. Forceful workmanship creates an
almost overly emphatic, manneristic muscularity,
reinforced by manneristic elements in the agitated
treatment of the garment.
TANG MARBLE SCULPTURE FROM THE
METROPOLITAN ANGUO TEMPLE
In the arts of Esoteric Buddhism flourishing under
the Tang dynasty, wrathful figures such as vidyarajas
and bodhisattvas in their awesome (S: krodha)
incarnations played a prominent role. Of ten icons
made of finely grained white marble with traces of
gold and polychromy, excavated in 1959 in the old
Changle ward of the Tang capital Chang'an, at least
eight qualify as members of the Esoteric Buddhist
pantheon (cats. 166, 170-72). Two depict the
ferocious-looking Bright King Budong
(S: Acalafnatha];" Immovable One"), who was the
unshakable, indomitable adherent and protector of
the Buddhist Law. Two other terrifying deities on
bizarre, layered rock pedestals most likely represent
TRANSFIGURING DIVINITIES: BUDDHIST SCULPTURE IN CHINA
Trailokyavijaya (C: Xiangsanshi; "Victor over the
Three Worlds [of greed, hatred, and folly]) (cat. 170).
Indo-Aryan vajra, the magic thunderbolt or
diamond scepter (C: jingangchu), which symbolizes
the diamond-like, indestructible character of the
ultimate truth. In one of his emanations,
Trailokyavijaya has three, sometimes even four heads
and eight arms. His furious, scowling visage, with
bulging eyes, bestial fangs, and knotted eyebrows
expresses his holy wrath (S: krodha; C: fennu), while
his combative attitude and flamboyant hair point to
his destructive energies and militant opposition to
evil, both physical and spiritual. The Bodhisattva
HayagrTva, the "horse-headed" Matou Guanyin, also
has three heads and eight arms. He is shown sitting
on a lotus-and-rock pedestal in front of an aureole
of swirling flames. Another prominent member of
the Esoteric Buddhist pantheon is the mystic
Buddha of the South, Ratnasambhava (C: Baosheng;
"Producer of Treasures"). This figure, now headless,
is seated with legs crossed in vajrdsana pose (legs
folded in the "adamant," or unshakable, posture) on
a lotus throne that rests on seven winged horses
(cat. 171). Among the finest works in this group of
marble sculptures is the image of Manjusn
(C:Wenshu), one of the agents of the Buddha
Sakyamuni (cat. 172). In his left hand he holds the
Astem of a lotus. palm-leaf book of Indian type
placed on the blossom above his left shoulder allows
us to identify him as the Bodhisattva of Great
Wisdom. His cultic center was on Mount Wutai in
Shanxi Province, which was thought to be his
sacred abode. Richly adorned with heavy jewelry,
Manjusn is seated on an elaborate throne of
overlapping lotus petals. Deeply sculptured, scrolling
leaves create an almost baroque quality.
The sculptural refinement of all these marble statues
and fragments is exceptional. Their subtle and
—elaborate surface treatment including the original
—polychromy and gilding attests to the artist's or
the metropolitan atelier's remarkable technical skill
and sensitivity in imparting a forceful expressiveness
and an extraordinary lively grace to the works. In
their original setting the icons may have constituted
a complete mandala. It is likely that they were
commissioned for the great Anguo Temple
("Temple for Pacifying the Country") in Chang'an,
which historical records locate at the ancient
Changle ward in the immediate neighborhood of
the imperial palaces, just outside present-day Xi'an.
Local government workers digging for a water
conduit discovered the sculptures, several in badly
damaged condition, in a small tunnel; they had been
buried deep and were found at a depth of over ten
meters.
The Anguo Temple was founded in 710. According
to Duan Chengshi's (d. 863) Sitaji ("Notes on
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