Page 78 - Christie's Chinese Works of Art March 24 and 25th, 2022 NYC

After the 902 fall of Nanzhao, an independent in such Dali sculptures as the gilt-bronze Willow- 1 Denise Patry Leidy, Donna Strahan, et al., Wisdom
kingdom in southern China, and following the Branch Guanyin (Bhaisajyaraja Avalokiteshvara) Embodied: Chinese Buddhist and Daoist Sculpture
rapid rise and collapse of three successive states formerly in the Nitta Collection, Japan in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York:
Metropolitan Museum of Art; and New Haven, CT, and
in the area, Duan Siping (893–944), seized (1912–2006) and now in the National Palace
London: Yale University Press), 2010, p. 86, no. 12.
power in 937 and established the dynastic Dali Museum, Taipei, as well as in the gilt-bronze
5
2 See: Leidy, Strahan, et al., Wisdom Embodied, 2010,
Kingdom. Unlike Nanzhao, which had had a Thousand-Arm, Thousand-Eye Avalokiteshvara
pp. 86-88, no. 12.
contentious relationship with the Tang dynasty in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (56.223). 6 3 See: Leidy, Strahan, et al., Wisdom Embodied, 2010,
(618–907), Dali enjoyed cordial relations with In particular, the cape-like shawl over the . 137, no. 32.
the Song, which facilitated artistic and cultural shoulders, the low-waisted dhoti, the necklace 4 Illustrated in the online Encyclopedia of Buddhist
exchange. Duan Siping, his heirs, and the people of with strands dangling onto the chest, and the Arts (Taipei); see: http://arts.fgs.org.tw/fgs_arts/tw/
Dali claimed to be ethnically Han Chinese, which long strand of beads with a medallion at the waist keyword_search_detail.php?arg=QkVMCO9ZkwlsKb
1rN1nS8ERdqx%2F8bxQc3iGehhUo4BbzWXeLVF%
facilitated relations with Song and which underlies also find parallels in those of a twelfth-century,
2B%2FLkaeDwo
the belief that Dali is a Chinese kingdom. Dali Kingdom seated bodhisattva in the Yunnan
5 See: Christie’s, Hong Kong, ed., Glories of Buddhist
Provincial Museum, Kunming. 7
Art, 29 May 2019 (Hong Kong: Christie’s), 2019, pp.
The derivation of Dali and Liao styles from Tang 47-49, lot 2710.
and the interplay amongst the styles of Song, The few other remaining Dali, gilt bronzes that 6 See: Leidy, Strahan, et al., Wisdom Embodied, 2010,
Liao, and Dali created a complex artistic milieu, form this cohesive group include the standing pp. 138-140, no. 33.
the sculptures from Dali, Song, and Liao thus Guanyin sculptures at Daisen-ji Temple in 7 See: Leidy, Strahan, et al., Wisdom Embodied, 2010,
exhibiting many visual and stylistic similarities. Saihuku District, Tottori Prefecture, Japan (H. p. 140, fig. 100.
8 See: Matsubara Saburō, Chūgoku Bukkyō Chōkoku
8
Those similarities have resulted in the widely 37 cm); in the Museum für Asiatische Kunst,
Shiron [The Path of Chinese Buddhist Sculpture], vol.
varying attributions of the closely related Guanyin Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (Fig. 2); in the
3 Tō · Godai · Sō [Tang, Five Dynasties, Song] (Tokyo:
sculptures in this group; in fact, attributions Shanghai Museum, (H. 23 cm) (Fig. 3); in the
9
Yoshikawa Kobunkan), 1995, pl. 817
of these sculptures vary from collection to Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond (H. 48 9 See: Matsubara, Chūgoku Bukkyō Chōkoku Shiron,
10
collection, from museum to museum, and range cm); in the former Nitta Collection, Japan (H. vol. 3, 1995, pl. 818
11
from Five Dynasties (907–960) and Dali Kingdom 46.2 cm); in the National Palace Museum, Taipei 10 See: Hugo Munsterberg, Chinese Buddhist Bronzes
12
to Song and Liao. (H. 53 cm); and in the Tsz Shan Monastery (Rutland, VT), 1967, figs. 56a and 56b; also see:
Buddhist Art Museum, Hong Kong (H. 34 cm) National Palace Museum, ed., Chinese Art in Overseas
Collections: Buddhist Sculpture (Taipei: National
The stylistic characteristics that favor attribution (2018.07).
Palace Museum), 1986, no. 145 also see: Lidai Guanyin
of this sculpture and its congeners to the Dali
baoxiang [Treasured Images of Guanyin through the
Kingdom are numerous and include the squarish With an impressive record of exhibition and
Ages], (Beijing: Zhongguo Shudian), 1998, p. 138
face with diminutive chin; the small, almond- publication and with a long and distinguished 11 See: National Palace Museum, ed., The Crucible
shaped eyes that look directly forward; the provenance, this Willow-Branch Guanyin is a of Compassion and Wisdom: Special Exhibition
elaborate crown extensively embellished with rare and exceptionally important Dali-Kingdom Catalog of the Buddhist Bronzes from the Nitta Group
cloud motifs (or, in other instances with flowers or sculpture; indeed, it is a masterwork of Chinese Collection at the National Palace Museum (Taipei:
jewels); the bows or crown elements that appear sculpture. Among the tallest in the small group National Palace Museum), 1987, p. 186, pl. 90 also
see: Christie’s, Hong Kong, ed., Arts for the Emperors,
on either side of the head immediately above the of related sculptures, it well represents the late
Fig. 1 ears and from which ribbons or strands of pearls eleventh- to early twelfth-century interpretation Visions of the Buddhist Paradise, and Fine Chinese
Works of Art, 26 April 1998 (Hong Kong: Christie’s),
descend onto the shoulders; the wealth of jewelry, of a continuing iconographic type established
1998, lot 603.
including the distinctive and very elaborate during the Sui dynasty. 12 Illustrated in the online Encyclopedia of Buddhist
necklace with multiple strands that descend onto Arts (Taipei) see: http://arts.fgs.org.tw/fgs_arts/tw/
the chest and with a medallion at the waist; the By Robert D. Mowry keyword_search_detail.php?arg=QkVMCO9ZkwlsKb
numerous scarves and sashes; and the exquisite Alan J. Dworsky Curator of Chinese Art Emeritus, 1rN1nS8ERdqx%2F8bxQc3iGehhUo4BbzWXeLVF%
finishing of both the front and the back of each Harvard Art Museums, and 2B%2FLkaeDwo
sculpture, with details of scarves, jewelry, and Senior Consultant, Christie’s
drapery folds meticulously articulated on both
front and back. These elements find counterparts
1 雷蒂珀 (Denise Patry Leidy) 及史唐娜 (Donna 8 松原三郎著作《中國佛教雕刻史論》卷三之「唐‧五代‧ Fig. 1 Standing gilt-bronze figure of
Strahan) 等合著的《Wisdom Embodied: Chinese 宋」圖版817 (東京：吉川弘文館，1995)。 Guanyin, Dali Kingdom, The Collection
Buddhist and Daoist Sculpture in the Metropolitan 9 前述松原三郎1995年著作《中國佛教雕刻史論》卷三圖 of National Palace Museum, Taipei.
Museum of Art》頁86編號12 (紐約：大都會藝術博物 版818。 圖ˏ（左˖） ૯理४銅鎏金觀音菩薩⒤像
館； 康涅狄格州紐黑文及倫敦：耶魯大學出版社，2010)。 10 Hugo Munsterberg著作《Chinese Buddhist 臺٫४⒤故宮博ḵ院藏
2 前述2010年雷氏與史氏等合著的《Wisdom Bronzes》圖56及56b (佛蒙特州拉特蘭市，1967)；另
Embodied》 頁86-88編號12。 可參見台北國立故宮博物院編輯委員會編撰的《海外遺 Fig. 2 Standing Avalokiteshvara, Song
3 前述2010年雷氏與史氏等合著的《Wisdom 珍：佛像》編號145 (台北：國立故宮博物院，1986)；此 dynasty (960-1279), 12th century, gilt
Embodied》 頁137編號32。 外，亦可參考《歷代觀音寶像》第一版頁138 (北京：中國 bronze, 28.5 cm. high. © Staatliche
4 圖見線上《佛光山世界佛教美術圖說大辭典》： http:// 書店，1998)。 Museen zu Berlin, Museum für
Asiatische Kunst, Ident. no. 5323.
arts.fgs.org.tw/fgs_arts/tw/keyword_search_ 11 國立故宮博物院編撰的《金銅佛造像特展圖錄》頁186, Photograph: Susanna Schulz.
detail.php?arg=QkVMCO9ZkwlsKb1rN1nS8ERdq 圖版90 (台北：國立故宮博物院，1987)；另可參見香港佳 圖̣ （左˗） 宋十̣ˠ紀銅鎏金觀音⒤像
x%2F8bxQc3iGehhUo4BbzWXeLVF%2B%2FLk 士得編撰的《Arts for the Emperors, Visions of the 編號
DN 高
©̯洲藝術博ḵ
aeDwo。 Buddhist Paradise, and Fine Chinese Works of Art, 館（柏林४⒤博ḵ館）
攝影師 4VTBOOB
5 香港佳士得編著的《梵華古韻》(香港：佳士得，2019年5 26 April 1998》拍品編號603 (香港：佳士得，1998)。 4DIVM[
月29日) 頁47-49拍品編號2710。 12 圖見線上《佛光山世界佛教美術圖說大辭典》：http://
6 前述2010年雷氏與史氏等合著的《Wisdom arts.fgs.org.tw/fgs_arts/tw/keyword_search_ Fig. 3 Gilt-bronze standing figure of a
Embodied》 頁138-140編號33。 detail.php?arg=QkVMCO9ZkwlsKb1rN1nS8ERdq bodhisattva, Northern Song dynasty (AD
7 前述2010年雷氏與史氏等合著的《Wisdom x%2F8bxQc3iGehhUo4BbzWXeLVF%2B%2FLk 960-1127), Shanghai Museum.
Embodied》 頁140圖100。 aeDwo。 圖˕（右） ٫宋銅鎏金菩薩⒤像
˖海博
ḵ館藏
Fig. 2 Fig. 3