Page 74 - Christie's Chinese Works of Art March 24 and 25th, 2022 NYC

An Important Dali Kingdom

Gilt-Bronze Sculpture of Guanyin

重要大理國銅鎏金觀音

By Robert D. Mowry 毛瑞

From the Dali Kingdom (937–1253) and dating the nectar of immortality, known in Sanskrit as
to the late eleventh or early twelfth century, amrita and in Chinese as both yamilida and ganlu;
this majestic sculpture of the Bodhisattva it’s also possible that the vase is a kundika, or
Avalokiteshvara, who is known in Chinese as sprinkler for dispensing holy water in purification
Guanyin Pusa, is not only beautiful and compelling rituals; both the kundika and the ambrosia
but rare and exceptionally important. This bottle are iconographic symbols associated with
sculpture belongs to a small group of gilt bronzes Guanyin. In the slightly elevated right hand, the
that depict Guanyin holding a vase and a willow figure originally held a willow branch; now mostly
branch, the several sculptures in the group all broken away, only the branch’s lower end remains.
closely related in style and general appearance; Used to sprinkle holy water, the willow branch
standing 57.2 cm in height (22½ in), the present was an ancient Chinese symbol of healing, both
image ranks among the tallest sculptures in this physical and spiritual. Like the kundika and the
group. This sculpture claims a distinguished ambrosia vase, the willow branch figures among
provenance, having formerly belonged to the Guanyin’s standard iconographic attributes. The
prominent collector Grace Rainey Rogers willow branch first appeared in association with
(1867–1943), this provenance documenting that Guanyin as an iconographic attribute in the late
the sculpture was already in the United States sixth-century China and became standard after
during the first half of the twentieth century. the eighth century, especially in East Asian, as
The sculpture also passed through the hands of opposed to Indian or Southeast Asian, art. 1
renowned art dealer C.T. Loo (1880–1957), and was
published as early as 1924. A Chinese rather than an Indian iconographic
convention, images of Guanyin holding a willow
The sculpture portrays Guanyin Pusa —more branch and a vase are often termed Yangliu
formally known as Guanshiyin Pusa—the Guanyin, or Willow-Branch Guanyin; images
Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion. Guanyin is of the Willow-Branch Guanyin from the Dali
regarded as a spiritual emanation of Amitabha Kingdom are sometimes also called Bhaisajyaraja
and is identified by the small representation Avalokiteshvara, a Sanskrit name that translates
Grace Rainey Rogers (1867-1943), Courtesy of The
Cleveland Museum of Art. of Amitabha that appears at the front of the into Chinese as Yaowang, or Medicine King, a
Grace Rainey Rogers (1867-1943), 圖片鳴謝克利夫蘭 bodhisattva’s crown. The vase that the bodhisattva reference to the healing powers of the willow
藝術博物館 holds in the left hand likely contains ambrosia, or branch. Such images first appeared in the late

這尊觀音菩薩立像端凝靜穆，此乃大理國 (公元937至1253年) 製品，斷代為公元十 手持楊柳淨瓶的觀音造象通稱「楊柳觀音」，此類形象其實是中原而非印
一世紀末或十二世紀初，其造型淳雅動人，且罕貴之極、意義非凡。此類手持淨瓶楊 度的產物；大理國的楊柳觀音間或亦名「藥王」，語出梵文「Bhaisajyaraja
柳的鎏金銅觀音像屈指可數，就風格和外觀而言，這批作品無不密切相關；本拍品 Avalokiteshvara」，蓋因楊枝有袪病延年之功。此類造像 (以鎏金銅者居多) 肇
通高57.2公分 (22½吋)，在近似例中尤為可觀。此像經手者赫赫有名，其中之一是名 始於公元六世紀末隋朝 (公元581至618年) 年間，紐約大都會藝術博物館 (館藏號
收藏家羅格琳 (Grace Rainey Rogers，1867至1943年)，根據羅氏的鑑藏記錄， 12.161a–c) 現藏一例。 這批早期造像日後終演變為觀音諸多法象之一，在大理國
2
本尊於二十世紀上半葉已流入美國。此外，它更是知名古董商盧芹齋 (1880至1957 尤為盛行。
年) 庋藏之物，早於1924年已見於著錄。
「觀音」出自梵文「Avalokiteshvara」，意謂「觀察世間音」，指觀音循聲救苦、有
本尊為觀音造像，其全稱是「觀世音菩薩」，又名「大慈大悲觀世音菩薩」。觀音被 求必應。觀音作為阿彌陀佛應化身，在賢劫佛釋迦牟尼離開之後與未來佛彌勒降世
視為阿彌陀佛之應化身，故其鑑別特徵是寶冠前的一尊小化佛。菩薩左手所持寶 之前守護娑婆眾生。《妙法蓮華經》第二十五品又名觀世音菩薩普門品，在佛門要
瓶盛放的應是甘露，即味甘如蜜的不死神藥，梵文曰「amrita」，中文音譯為「啞密 典之中流傳至廣，文中描述的觀音慈悲為懷，不辭勞苦地救渡身經苦厄而呼叫其名
哩達」；另外，這也可能是淨瓶，即水陸法事中醮灑聖水之器具；但無論是淨瓶或甘 的芸芸眾生。
露瓶，兩者均為觀音的造像特徵。觀音右手位置略高，原先所執楊柳枝現已折損殆
盡，僅餘一小截殘枝。楊枝用於灑施甘露，在中國是消災除病的古老象徵。它跟淨 佛教諸多神祗中，觀音位列地位尊崇的菩薩，其胸懷悲愍樂施，雖已證菩提，但卻捨
瓶、甘露瓶一樣，均屬觀音的造像儀軌。作為觀音的身份標識，楊枝最早見於公元 己為人，發願渡盡有情眾生始入涅槃。「菩薩」意謂覺者，矢志幫助眾生證悟佛法，
六世紀末中原，公元八世紀後儼然已成定制，尤以東亞為然，而印度或東南亞藝術 使之免遭輪迴之苦。
則另當別論。 1 73