Page 68 - Christie's London May 14, 2019 Chinese Works of Art

THE MATURATION OF A TRADITION: and bottom. Embellished with brocaded edges,
a capelet covers the upper part of the fgure’s
back, envelopes the shoulders, loops over the
An Early Ming Sculpture of the Water Moon Guanyin
upper arms, and then falls to the fgure’s legs,
the left end terminating under the box on which
Robert D. Mowry, Senior Consultant, Christie’s the fgure’s left hand rests, and the right end
Alan J. Dworsky Curator of Chinese Art Emeritus, Harvard Art Museums appearing at the bottom of the sculpture, beneath
the fgure’s right foot and resembling a scudding
cloud. In addition to the crown, this bodhisattva
wears earrings, bracelets, and an elaborate
beaded necklace, the crown and necklace inset
with semiprecious stones.
BC), who was born a crown prince, became a
Buddha, so will bodhisattvas eventually become Although lacking a defnitive diagnostic
Buddhas, once all sentient beings have attained iconographic attribute, this sculpture likely
enlightenment. As evinced by this majestic represents Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of
sculpture, bodhisattvas generally are depicted Infnite Compassion—who is known in Chinese as
with a single head, two arms, and two legs, Guanshiyin Pusa, or more simply as Guanyin. A
though they in fact may be shown with multiple translation of the Sanskrit name Avalokiteshvara,
heads and limbs, depending upon the individual Guanshiyin means “[The One Who] Perceives the
bodhisattva and the particular manifestation as Sounds of the World”, a reference to Guanyin’s
described in the sutras, or sacred texts. Richly ability to hear both the cries of the aflicted and
attired, bodhisattvas, who may be presented the prayers of supplicants. Guanyin, an earthly
either standing or seated, are represented with manifestation of the Buddha Amitabha, guards
long hair often arranged in a tall coifure, or bun, the world in the interval between the departure
atop the head, typically with long strands of hair of the Historical Buddha Shakyamuni and the
cascading over the shoulders, and often with a appearance of Maitreya, the Buddha of the
crown surrounding the high topknot, all as seen Future. Though Guanyin fgures in more than
in this sculpture. Bodhisattvas wear ornamental eighty diferent sutras, the Lotus Sutra—known
scarves, dhotis of rich silk brocade, and a wealth in Sanskrit as the Saddharma Pundarika Sutra
of jewelry that typically includes necklaces, and in Chinese as the Miaofa Lianhua Jing—is
armlets, bracelets, and anklets. Like Buddhas, generally accepted as the earliest sacred text
bodhisattvas have distended earlobes; some wear that presents the doctrines of Avalokiteshvara,
earrings, others do not. Though bodhisattvas that presentation occurring in Chapter 25. Titled
Apart from its compelling beauty, this early generally are shown barefoot, as in this sculpture, Guanshiyin Pusa Pumenpin and devoted to
Ming sculpture representing a bodhisattva both early Indian and early Chinese images of Guanyin, that chapter describes Guanyin as a
seated in the pose of royal ease is important for bodhisattvas may be shown wearing sandals, bodhisattva of infnite compassion who hears the
its impressive size and great rarity. Though its often of plaited straw. 3 cries of sentient beings and who works tirelessly
to help all those who call upon his name. Thirty-
exact identity remains uncertain, the fgure likely
represents the so-called Water Moon Guanyin, a This sculpture presents the bodhisattva seated three diferent manifestations of the bodhisattva
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subject frequently depicted in Buddhist paintings in lalitasana, or the pose of royal ease. The are described, including female manifestations
of the Song (960–1279), Yuan (1279–1368), and fgure sits with back straight and body erect—the as well as ones with multiple heads and
Ming (1368–1644) periods but only infrequently embodiment of perfect posture—the head turned multiple limbs. This chapter has long circulated
portrayed in contemporaneous sculptures. slightly to the left and with the eyes downcast independently as stand-alone sutra called the
and heavily lidded. The fgure’s right leg is fexed Avalokiteshvara Sutra, or Guanshiyin Jing in
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Meaning “enlightened being”, a bodhisattva is a and pulled up with the knee at chest height, the Chinese, and is commonly recited or chanted at
benevolent being who has attained enlightenment extended right arm resting on the right knee and Buddhist temples in East Asia.
but who has selfessly postponed entry into the fngers of the right hand gingerly holding
Regarded as a spiritual emanation of the Buddha
nirvana in order to assist other sentient beings— either a wish-granting jewel, or cintamani, or a
Amitabha, Guanyin ordinarily is identifed by the
youqing or zhongsheng—in gaining enlightenment bead, perhaps from a now-lost rosary. The left
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small representation of Amitabha that appears
and thereby release from the samsara cycle of leg is pendant, and the left arm is lowered for
in the bodhisattva’s crown or at the front of
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birth and rebirth. Bodhisattvas thus embody the support, with the hand resting on a traditional
the tall topknot of hair. The lack of an image
Mahayana Buddhist ideal of delivering all living han book-storage box that is tied with a cord and
of Amitabha atop this fgure’s head has led
creatures from sufering. Thanks to the enormous presumably contains a Buddhist sutra in either
some to question whether this sculpture truly
stores they have amassed, bodhisattvas are Indian-style palm-leaf manuscript format or
represents Guanyin or might represent another
able to assist others through the transfer of Chinese accordion-fold book format.
bodhisattva. In fact, Chinese artists traditionally
meritorious karma to those in need, a concept employed the royal ease pose only in association
known in Sanskrit as parinamana and in Chinese This fgure wears both an undergarment that is with major bodhisattvas, mainly in depicting
as huixiang. held in place by a cincture at the waist and a dhoti
that hangs to the ankles and that is secured at Guanyin but occasionally also in portraying
Bodhisattvas are presented in the guise of an the hips with a long cord whose ends futter as if Manjushri—Wenshu Pusa in Chinese—the
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early Indian prince, a reference to Siddhartha animated by a breeze; though otherwise without Bodhisattva of Transcendental Wisdom. The
Gautama’s worldly status before he became the ornament inside and out—the inside of the robe is suggestion that this sculpture might represent
Historical Buddha Shakyamuni, implying that visible beneath the bodhisattva’s right foot—each Manjushri arises from the presence of the book
just as Siddhartha (traditionally, c. 563–c. 483 garment sports an elaborate foral border at top on which the bodhisattva rests the left hand (as
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