Page 167 - 2020 October 8 HK Fine Classical Paintings

MAITREYA, BUDDHA OF THE 彌勒佛：亂世未來佛
FUTURE
A MASTERPIECE OF A
TURBULENT ERA

Encapsulating the finest qualities of Northern Wei sculpture, 銅彌勒佛立像，盡展北魏雕塑藝術之精粹，立姿造形
with its sensitive modelling inspired by the art of Gandhara, 受犍陀羅藝術風格影響，靈動有力，氣勢尊貴非凡，
and crisp articulation of the aristocratic features of the Buddha 且沉穩碩大，乃現知私人收藏中尺寸最大者，品相幾
in a powerful standing posture, this magnificent bronze 近完美，焰形背光綴三佛，佛面慈笑，神聖威嚴。
sculpture is amongst the largest of all Northern Wei bronze
Buddhist sculptures recorded in private hands. Preserved in
near pristine condition, depicted standing majestically on a 背光銘供養文，紀年景明三年（502年），文中雖簡稱
lotus pedestal against an elaborate flaming mandorla cast with 「造佛」，觀此像之儀軌，應屬彌勒佛，即未來佛。
three smaller images of Buddha, the figure exudes serenity in 參考紐約大都會藝術博物館藏著名造像，立姿、背
its captivating smile. 光相近，錄於 Denise Patry Leidy 及 Donna Strahan，
The incised dedicatory inscription on the reverse of the 《Wisdom Embodied: Chinese Buddhist and Daoist Sculpture
mandorla refers only to ‘Buddha’, but the iconography of the in the Metropolitan Museum of Art》，紐黑文，2010年，
sculpture places it in the rich historic tradition of depicting 編號7a，銘文紀年524年，中央為彌勒佛。該像與本例
Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future. The precise standing 相似，彌勒佛體態穩重，覆以厚實袍服，屬六世紀洛
position and mudras are also found on the famous altarpiece 陽宮廷風格，內袍之上綴長形披衣，飄帶結飾於前，
dedicated to Maitreya in the collection of the Metropolitan 衣褶垂墜飄逸二側。二品均作類同焰形背光，右手
Museum of Art, published in Denise Patry Leidy and Donna 掌上舉，左手朝下，意謂阿彌陀佛自淨土下生，救助
Strahan, Wisdom Embodied: Chinese Buddhist and Daoist 眾生，接引極樂世界。此二例造像，或為兜率天彌勒
Sculpture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New Haven,
2010, cat. no. 7a. Like the current sculpture, the central 佛，而供養人皇甫改慜之祈願則為彌勒佛接引雙親，
figure is depicted with the attenuated physique and heavy, 前往兜率天極樂世界。
concealing drapery characteristic of the court style of Luoyang
in the early 6th century. Both are depicted adorned in long 拓跋氏出身中亞鮮卑族，建立北魏後，致力塑造其政
rectangular shawls over undergarments that include vests tied 權正統性，崇尚同為外來之佛教，佛教茁壯於當時政
neatly at the front, the hems cascading in schematised folds, 治動盪與社會流動文化劇變的背景下，造像藝術初受
the hems flaying at the sides. Both figures are also depicted 犍陀羅、中亞風格影響，漸得漢化，北魏孝文帝一朝
against elaborate flaming mandorlas, shown with the same （471-499年），漢化活動達到巔峰，並遷都大同至東
raised right and lowered left hands, a combination of gestures 漢舊都洛陽。
associated with Amitabha Buddha descending from his Pure
Land (Sukhavati) to the earthly world to rescue the souls
of the deceased and bring them to paradise. It is likely that 北魏孝文帝納漢服傳統於拓跋族衣著，此風尚並延續
both the altarpiece and the current sculpture were intended 於繼任之宣武帝年間，即本像製作之時，藝術風格展
to represent Maitreya Buddha descending from the Tushita 現此中演變過程。造像身軀豐滿，姿態高貴，展現犍
heaven. The dedicatory offering of this magnificent sculpture 陀羅及中亞造像風格影響，大型火焰背光，以及佛面
from Disciple Huangfu Gaimin can thus be seen as a wish 微笑，則更易為中國信眾所接受，兩者均屬五世紀早
for his parents to ascend to join an assembly of divinities in 期特色。而佛像身形高挑，反映高度之重要性增加，
Maitreya’s Tushita heaven. 而裙褶叠曲有序，背光火焰刻劃清晰，氣韻生動，神
Emperor Xiaowen actively sponsored the assimilation of Han 彩宛如書法揮毫。
Chinese costumes on members of the Tuoba clan, a trend that
continued under his successor, Emperor Xuanwu (r. 500-515) 佛像通肩式之外袍，自肩膀垂直而下，衣褶如波浪流
when the current sculpture was created. Dated in accordance 動。其風格特徵，早見於四世紀末、五世紀初，被稱
to 502, this sculpture carries stylistic elements that represent
this artistic shift. The figure’s voluminous body and its 為烏仗那式，烏仗那乃古巴基斯坦，斯瓦特谷一帶舊
aristocratic pose display the continued influence of Gandharan 名，屬早期犍陀羅，風格源自高古犍陀羅造像與早期
and Central Asian imagery, while the large flaming mandorla 中亞文化，反映出古典希臘化藝術與古印度的深遠影
and the Buddha’s blissful smile would have made this figure 響。此類袍服衣褶明顯之印度佛教造像，風行於此朝
more appealing and accessible to a Chinese devotee. The tall, 聖旅者不絕之地，如五世紀初法顯（399-416年）便曾
thin body evidence an increased interest in verticality, while 造訪此地。也有印度佛教大師遠來東方，雕像風格或
the crisp rendering of the figure’s robes that falls in regular 藉此傳入中國。美國紐約大都會博物館所藏一件極為
pleats and the incised flames on the mandorla are endowed 重要的鎏金銅佛，便可見證此造像風格的傳播，經由
with a rhythmic, almost calligraphic quality. Buddhist images 銘記辨識其身份是彌勒菩薩，紀年486年，身著由雙肩
displaying robes with pronounced folds, such as the colossal
3rd or 4th century sculptures once standing at Bamiyan, were 下垂且帶有波浪衣褶之僧袍，錄於 Denise Patry Leidy 及
accessible to pilgrims via the Silk Road and the style thus Donna Strahan，前述出處，編號4。
found its way to China. It is recorded that the Chinese traveller
Faxian visited this site sometime around the beginning of the 五世紀時，彌勒淨土宗盛行於中國北方，彌勒既為兜
5th century. Testimony to this migration of style is seen in 率淨土之菩薩，亦是成就人間淨土的未來佛。南北朝
the famous gilt-bronze figure in the Metropolitan Museum of 紛亂之際，戰事頻傳，百姓生活顛沛流離，遂而渴求
Art, dated 486 and identified by inscription as Maitreya, with 心靈寄託，嚮往祥和淨土。此像脇伴三佛，或為過去
the robe falling from the shoulders in stylised undulations, 佛，象徵三世佛或一切諸佛，救度眾生、往生淨土之
published in Denise Patry Leidy and Donna Strahan, op.cit., 成就願力。
cat. no. 4.
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