Page 76 - Christie's Chinese Works of Art March 24 and 25th, 2022 NYC

sixth century, during the Sui dynasty (581–618), (traditionally, c. 563–c. 483 BC), who was a tenon at the back of the head or between the
typically in gilt bronze, as witnessed by the born a crown prince, became a Buddha, so will shoulder blades to secure a mandorla suggests
example in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New bodhisattvas eventually become Buddhas, once all either that a sculpted mandorla was affixed to
York (12.161a–c). Such early images established sentient beings have attained enlightenment. and supported by the now-lost base or that the
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a typology that would be followed in later periods, mandorla was painted on the wall behind the
particularly in the Dali Kingdom. Richly attired, bodhisattvas are represented figure. The openwork silver mandorla associated
with long hair often arranged in a tall coiffure, with the eighth- or ninth-century gold Acuoye
A translation of the Sanskrit name or bun, atop the head and with long tresses Guanyin discovered in 1978 inside the Qianxun
Avalokiteshvara, Guanshiyin means “[The One of hair cascading over the shoulders. A crown Pagoda at the Chongsheng Temple, Dali, Yunnan
Who] Perceives the Sounds of the World”, sometimes surrounds the high coiffure as province suggests the possible appearance of the
a reference to Guanyin’s ability to hear both revealed by this sculpture. Bodhisattvas wear present sculpture’s original mandorla.
the cries of the afflicted and the prayers of ornamental scarves, dhotis of rich silk brocade,
supplicants. An earthly manifestation of the and a wealth of jewelry that includes necklaces, A square opening with gently curved sides
Buddha Amitabha, Guanyin guards the world armlets, bracelets, and anklets. Like Buddhas, high on the figure’s back gives access to
during the interval between the departure of bodhisattvas have distended earlobes, but, unlike the sculpture’s hollow interior; the opening
the Historical Buddha Shakyamuni and the the Buddhas, they typically wear earrings. presumably was covered with a gilt-bronze
appearance of Maitreya, the Buddha of the plate whose decoration comported with that
Future. Chapter 25, Guanshiyin Pusa Pumenpin, This sculpture originally stood on a lotus base of the surrounding matrix. The plate concealed
of the Lotus Sutra, the best-known of all Buddhist and was presented on an altar. As few original the sculpture’s interior cavity from view and
scriptures, describes Guanyin as a compassionate bases of comparable Dali bronze sculptures have secured in place the dedicatory objects deposited
bodhisattva who hears the cries of sentient beings survived, the exact appearance of this sculpture’s within during the consecration ceremony. The
and who works tirelessly to help all those who call original lotus base remains unknown. Even so, consecration of Buddhist sculptures included
upon his name. it is possible that this sculpture’s base might an elaborate ritual executed in accordance with
have resembled the double-lotus pedestal of the canonical texts that describe the process in
Guanyin belongs to an elevated category twelfth-century, Dali Kingdom Acuoye Guanyin detail. The most important part of the ritual was
of Buddhist deities known as bodhisattvas, in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art the placement of consecratory objects within the
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benevolent beings who have attained (42.25.28). The base might also have shown sculpture’s interior cavity, those objects typically
enlightenment but who have selflessly postponed some similarity to that associated with the related including small paper sutras and prayer scrolls,
entry into nirvana in order to assist other sentient Willow-Branch Guanyin sculpture in the National glass beads, textile fragments, small bronze seals,
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beings in gaining enlightenment. Meaning Palace Museum, Taipei, though the Taipei stand small sculptures of metal or wood, seeds, and
“enlightened being”, a bodhisattva is an altruistic might well be a later replacement for a lost assorted other special goods. Such dedicatory
being who is dedicated to assisting other sentient original, as its style corresponds more closely items were believed to enliven the image and
beings in achieving release from the samsara to pedestals of Ming (1368–1644) and Qing accord it religious efficacy.
cycle of birth and rebirth through the attainment (1644–1911) sculptures. (Fig. 1)
of enlightenment. Created in the Dali Kingdom (937–1253), this
When under worship in a temple, the present majestic sculpture and its congeners date to
Elegantly outfitted in sumptuous trappings, sculpture would have been backed by either the late eleventh or early twelfth century. An
bodhisattvas are presented in the guise of an early a halo or a mandorla, the lotus-petal-shaped independent, devoutly Buddhist kingdom in
Indian prince, a reference to Siddhartha Gautama’s aureole suggesting light radiating from the deity’s southwestern China, Dali was coeval with China’s
worldly status before he became the Historical body and thus signaling its divine status. That this Song dynasty (907–1279) and more or less
Buddha Shakyamuni, implying that as Siddhartha sculpture and the related ones in this group lack congruent with present-day Yunnan province.

菩薩的穿着打扮繁複精細，多作早期印度王子打扮， ⅲ底座Ϝफ़定或承托，或直接❡於觀音像背後ⅲણ ゲ是段思平及Ւ繼任者，或是૯理百姓，無˙͠漢́ ⅲΩ腰ڑ裙，胸ע懸掛ⅲ項鏈瓔珞，͠及腰間ⅲ團花珠
借指悉達多‧喬達摩 (相傳生卒年約為公元前563至 ˖ǐ 年，雲南૯理崇聖寺千尋塔Շ發現ˏ尊Ռ 自居，這˙僅有إ؟深與宋朝ⅲ關Ѓ，更鞏फ़̞૯理 串，Ц與昆明ⅲ雲南省博ḵ館Ռ元十̣ˠ紀૯理४菩薩
483年) 成為賢劫釋迦牟尼佛之前的俗世身份，暗示 元Ջ或̏ˠ紀金阿ฦ耶觀音像，Ւ鏤⑤雕花銀㌪Բ ४屬於中原正統̃をǐ ঙ像遙相呼應ǐ
既然皇太子悉達多能修得正果，菩薩渡盡眾生後亦可 為本拍品㌪Բⅲ原貌提ϭ̞線索ǐ
成佛。菩薩衣飾華美，長髮常綰為頂髻，側有髮綹垂拂 ૯理४和遼४均承襲̞唐代風格，而宋Ǐ遼Ǐ૯理̃間 同類াⅲ૯理४鎏金銅像少̃又少，相關實例ֱ別見於
肩頭，其高髻有時佩飾寶冠，本尊便是一例。菩薩身披 觀音背部˖方開ˏ方孔，ो邊微彎，由此可ˏ⒕中 ⅲ相̧影響，又̵織֨ˏй錯綜複雜ⅲ藝術‍境，因 日本鳥取✥西Ώ郡૯山寺 高 Ռֱ
Ǐ於̯洲藝術博

帔帛與織錦半裙，渾身滿飾瓔珞，頸項、臂腕和足踝大 ⑤ⅲՇ膛；如無意外，孔洞原用ˏੌ鎏金銅板封 此就視覺和風格而〕，૯理Ǐ宋代和遼代造像頗૨重 ḵ館（柏林४⒤博ḵ館）藏博ḵ館展֨ⅲ觀音⒤像 （圖
多佩寶釧。菩薩跟佛陀一樣雙耳長垂，但與佛陀不同 ㄼ，Ւ裝飾與周邊ⅲ紋飾格局脗合ǐ這ੌ金屬板用 疊̃處ǐ正是這̮重疊̃處，ϕ這批風格密ֲ相關ⅲ ̣）Ǐ˖海博ḵ館 高 Ռֱ
（圖˕） Ǐ美४弗吉尼̯

的是，菩薩以佩戴耳璫者居多。 η掩蓋塑像Շ膛，妥為封存開Բ儀式中裝Նⅲ各式 觀音像呈現֨バ૨微妙ⅲ差別；ら然，觀̅各૯收藏 藝術博ḵ館 高 Ռֱ
Ǐ日本新田舊藏 高 Ռ

ϭ品ǐζ像ⅲ開Բ儀式ㄈर❀瑣，ˏֲ步驟ⅳ須遵 和館藏中ⅲ̩代 Ռ元 至 年
Ǐ૯理४Ǐ宋代Ǐ ֱ
Ǐ台٫故宮 高 Ռֱ
Ǐ͠及香港慈山寺ζ教藝

此像原先配有蓮座，供奉於壇上。由於近似的大理國 循Ք△Շⅲ♢ם執行ǐ相關儀式至關重要ⅲ是為雕 遼代實例 ，Ւ造像ṁ徵ⅳ˙盡相同ǐ 術博ḵ館 高 Ռֱ，館藏號
̃珍藏ǐ
傳世銅像中，仍具原配座子者幾近於無，故此本拍品 像裝藏，ˏ般慣例是在Շ膛放Ն小巧ⅲ紙本經文和
原有蓮座的具體外觀已無從稽考。即便如此，本尊的 經卷Ǐ玻璃珠Ǐ織ḵ殘ḚǏ小銅⒯Ǐ金屬或木胎小 可將本拍品及相關實例定性為૯理४製品ⅲ風格ṁ徵 此尊楊柳觀音ⅲ展覽和著錄〦錄驕́，˞源遠流長Ǐ㌪
底座有可能類似紐約大都會藝術博物館藏公元十二 像Ǐ種◗及形形色色ⅲṁ殊ϭ品ǐ據稱，此類秘藏 ˙ك枚舉，バ如觀音Ц臉方頦⑬，杏眼狹長，雙目֘視 ˠ顯㈥，˙愧為૯理४造像中ⅲ稀ˠ奇珍；ら然，稱̃
世紀大理國阿嵯耶觀音 (館藏號42.25.28) 的仰覆 ϭ品能賦̠造像靈氣和法力ǐ ע方，頭戴滿飾雲紋ⅲ華美寶ի 或綴͠花卉Ǐ珠寶
， 為中४造像ⅲ巔峰̃η̷˙為過ǐ相關ⅲ近Κ例少如鳳
蓮座。 此外，它與台北國立故宮博物院藏近似的楊 ի側雙耳˖方❢結寶繒，˗有飄帶或珠串垂拂雙肩， 毛麟角，本拍品是體量最高ⅲҷˠ品̃ˏ，在隋代開創
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柳觀音像之座子或許也有共通之處， 但台北故宮座 這尊高貴Ք雅ⅲ觀音像及Ւ近Κ例，ⅳ源自Ռ元十 菩薩渾㌪珠寶瓔珞 如★美別✇ⅲ項鏈，Ւ˗串飾垂 ⅲ這ˏ造像範式中，本尊ら可ヘ為十ˏˠ紀末至十̣ˠ
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子更接近明 (公元1368至1644年)、清 (公元1644至 ˏˠ紀末或十̣ˠ紀׀૯理४ǐ૯理४ঃ處中४西 掛於胸ע，˩在腰間結為團花
，所披帔帛♢密層疊，而 紀׀ⅲ標Ⓝ̃ηǐ
1911年) 二代的風格，所以可能是原座佚失後另行配 南，是й崇尚ζ教ⅲỵ⒤王朝，४祚與宋朝 Ռ元 ˞造像ע後ⅳ拋Բ♢膩，菩薩㌪ע和㌪後ⅲ帔帛Ǐ瓔
製。 (圖一) 至 年
相若，疆৶ם與₤今雲南省૯致相 絡Ǐ衣褶無˙★工打造ǐ֜此種種，̷見於相關ⅲ近Κ
同ǐ中४南方ⅲỵ⒤政權南ぐ於Ռ元 年滅̲， 例，如日本新田舊藏૯理४楊柳觀音鎏金銅像，此像 毛瑞
本尊在廟中供奉之際，身後應有頭光或背光，蓮瓣形 Ւ後短時期Շ江山˕度易幟，段思平 Ռ元 至 原為新田棟ˏ 原名彭楷棟， 至 年
庋藏̃ 哈ζ૯學藝術博ḵ館̯洲部榮ㅁ主任暨ωૈ得高級
的光環代表神祇身體煥發的光芒，以彰顯其神聖地 年
終於在 年建४，४號૯理ǐ南ぐ與唐朝 ḵ，現已Ն藏台٫故宮； ۷ˏ例是紐☼૯都會藝術博 顧問

位。就本拍品及相關實例而言，其後腦或肩胛骨之間皆 Ռ元 至 年
關Ѓ緊張，相比̃˗，૯理४與 ḵ館ⅲ千手千眼鎏金銅觀音菩薩像 館藏號
無固定身光的榫眼，這意味着雕花身光應是靠已佚失 宋室ם禮尚往Ϝ，૯૯Є進̞藝術和文٪̵流ǐ無 ǐ 尤須ˏ提ⅲ是，本尊㌪披ⅲ斗蓬Ṹ天衣，˗㌪所着

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