Page 128 - Christie's, materpieces of Buddhist Art December 2, 2015 HK

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AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE DEHUA FIGURE OF 晚明 德化白釉佛坐像 《何朝宗印》款
A MEDITATING BUDDHA
德化窯白釉佛陀坐像，為明代德化窯瓷塑大師何朝宗所製。體量高大，胎
CHINA, MING DYNASTY, 16TH-EARLY 17TH CENTURY, IMPRESSED 質厚重，于燒造水準要求極高。所塑佛陀法相慈嚴，身披法衣，雙手結禪
HE CHAOZONG MARK 定印，赤腳盤坐於蓮瓣座之上。蓮瓣肥厚寬大，與山西省夏縣余慶禪院後
大殿明代阿彌陀佛蓮瓣相類，同時法衣下垂蓮瓣也與後者相類，參考《中
The figure is finely modelled seated in dhyanasana on a double-lotus base, 國寺觀雕塑全集-明清寺觀造像》，黑龍江美術出版社2005年，頁113，圖
with hands held in dhyanamudra, dressed in long flowing robes and loose 151，表明明代造像特徵。坐像製作精細，眼中雙瞳及雙唇舌尖，皆精細加
shawl. The rounded face has a serene expression below tight curls of hair 以刻劃，體現作者高超瓷塑水準，為何朝宗少見德化白瓷之精品佳作。
surrounding the ushnisha. The deity’s back is impressed with the maker’s
seal mark, ‘He Chaozong Yin’, within a square. 來源
R. Wagner珍藏，柏林，約1920年代
17√ in. (45.4 cm.) high 德國家族珍藏，入藏於1990年代

PROVENANCE 著錄
R. Wagner collection, Berlin, circa 1920s O. Burchard，《Chinesische Kleinplastik, Orbis Pictus, Band 12》，柏林，
Property from a German Family Collection, acquired in 1990s 1925年，圖45號

LITERATURE
O. Burchard, Chinesische Kleinplastik, Orbis Pictus, Band 12, Berlin, 1925,
no. 45

The present figure of Buddha is highly unusual in that it is more sturdily
potted and differs from known examples also bearing the seal impression
of the celebrated potter, He Chaozong. Although historical records do
not provide an exact date for the potter, it was thought that he was active
during the late Jiajing to Wanli period. The overall iconography of the
figure and naturalistic modelling of the double-lotus base would probably
suggest the present figure was a special commission. The folds of the
robe including the flow of the garment over the base is comparable to
the figure of a seated Bodhidharma formerly from the Eumorfopoulos
Collection, now in the British Museum, illustrated by J. Harrison-Hall,
Ming Ceramics, London, 2001, p. 515, fig. 17:14. The British Museum
figure also has the same crackled glaze.

It is interesting to note there are fewer examples of He Chaozong-marked
sculptures of Buddha figures as many of the Master’s extant work are of
Guanyin and Bodhidharma. An example of a standing Bodhidharma,
formerly in the collection of the German painter Joachim Schlotterbeck,
was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 26 November 2014, lot 3120.

The current figure illustrated in O. Burchard, Chinesische Kleinplastik, Orbis Pictus, Band 12,
Berlin, 1925
此拍品著錄於O. Burchard，《Chinesische Kleinplastik, Orbis Pictus, Band 12》，
柏林，1925年

126 Masterpieces of Buddhist Art 大俱足 — 經典亞洲佛教藝術