Page 130 - Christie's, materpieces of Buddhist Art December 2, 2015 HK

Seated in peaceful contemplation, this superb figure embodies a
profound spirituality achieved through the remarkable plasticity
of drapery and form, the unencumbered serenity of the face, and
the near-perfect fusion of body and glaze. The figure represents
a Buddha seated on a double-lotus base and absorbed in
meditation. The Buddha assumes the classic dhyanasana
posture of meditation in which the legs are locked in full-lotus
position with the soles of the feet turned upwards and thus
visible. His hands rest in his lap in the dhyana-mudra, or gesture
of meditation, left hand atop the right, palms facing upward.
(A ritual hand gesture, a mudra symbolizes a particular action,
attitude, or power of a deity.)
The ushnisha, or cranial protuberance atop the head symbolizing
the expanded wisdom gained at enlightenment, identifies
this magnificent sculpture as an image of a Buddha, as do
the benevolent countenance, small snail-shell curls of hair,
elongated earlobes, and monk’s robes. Not a standard feature of
the Buddha, the jewel at the base of the ushnisha gained favor
in representations of the Buddha beginning in the Song (AD
960–1279) and Liao (AD 907–1125) dynasties.
Although most standard representations of the dhyanamudra
depict the right hand resting atop the left hand, in this sculpture Ming and Qing. According to Nigel Wood, Dehua porcelains
the left hand appears atop the right. In fact, most mudras have
variant forms that either do not change the meaning of the
gesture or alter it only slightly. The variant of the dhyanamudra
with the left hand resting on the right hand had appeared already
in Gandharan sculptures as early as the 2nd or 3rd century, so
this figure’s alternate interpretation of the mudra has an ancient
legacy. In another variant of the dhyanamudra, as evinced by
the famous gilt bronze Meditating Buddha—dating to AD 338
and from the Later Zhao dynasty—in the collection of San
Francisco’s Asian Art Museum (museum reference B60 B1034),
the hands may be placed with palms facing the abdomen,
backs facing outward. In fact, sculptures of the Buddha made
at Dehua, where this extraordinary sculpture was created, show
both interpretations of the dhyanamudra, some with right hand
atop the left, and others vice versa.
Although any Buddha may be shown in meditation with hands
in the dhyanamudra, that mudra is most often associated with
Buddhas Shakyamuni (the Historical Buddha) and Amitabha
(Buddha of Infinite Light). In standard images of the meditating
Shakyamuni, one hand simply rests atop the other, usually the
right hand atop the left. By contrast, in standard images of
Amitabha in meditation, the fingers of each hand are positioned
so that one finger forms a circle with the thumb, the particular
fingers touching the thumb indicating the level of paradise
on which Amitabha is meditating. Images of the meditating
Medicine Buddha (Chinese, Yaoshifo) typically show his lapis
lazuli medicine jar resting atop his overlapping hands.
This image most likely represents either Shakyamuni or
Amitabha Buddha. Probably not made for a temple, the sculpture
might have been designed to appeal to the literati, in which
case it might represent the Buddha Shakyamuni, as Chinese
literati of the Ming and Qing periods, even if not practicing Chan
Buddhists, took an interest in the philosophy of Chan Buddhism,
which reveres Shakyamuni. On the other hand, if made for
purchase by a member of the general public, the sculpture might
represent Amitabha (his hands in the simplest statement of the
128 Masterpieces of Buddhist Art 大俱足 — 經典亞洲佛教藝術
dhyanamudra), who enjoyed widespread popularity among the
general population. It is also possible that the artist deliberately
left the specific iconography ambiguous so that whoever bought
it could interpret it as he or she wished.
An album leaf by Lu Hui (Chinese; 1851–1920) in the Roy and
Marilyn Papp Collection, Phoenix, depicts the renowned Tang-
dynasty calligrapher Yan Zhenqing (AD 709–785) seated at
a stone desk in a garden, as if a Ming or Qing literatus (see
Claudia Brown, Heritage of the Brush: The Roy and Marilyn Papp
Collection of Chinese Painting, Phoenix: Phoenix Art Museum,
1989 p.122, cat. no. 44). Along with brush, inkstone, and paper,
a Dehua sculpture appears on the desk. Because it is shown
in three-quarter view from the rear, the sculpture cannot be
identified in terms of subject matter, but its presence in this
painting evinces literati interest in Dehua sculptures of Buddhist
figures, at least in certain periods.
Press molded and finished by hand, this sculpture was made
at kilns in Dehua county, in eastern, coastal Fujian province.
Rich in kaolin clay, Dehua was famous for its exceptionally high
quality porcelains; initial porcelain production began in the
Song and Yuan dynasties and then achieved perfection in the
achieved a fusion of glaze and body traditionally characterized
as “ivory white” or “milk white” (see Nigel Wood, Chinese Glazes:
Their Chemistry, Origins and Re-creation, London: A & C Black,
and Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2007). The
kaolin used at Dehua contained very little iron oxide, permitting
ceramics made from it to be fired in an oxidizing atmosphere,
resulting in a warm white or pale ivory color, which distinguishes
them from the porcelains produced at Jingdezhen, in Jiangxi
province, which, because of a slightly higher iron-oxide content
and because of reduction firing, show a cold, bluish-white color
often described as resembling that of skim milk.
The square seal mark reading He Chao Zong Yin on its back
indicates that this sculpture was made by He Chaozong (active
16th–early 17th century), the most famous of the potters active at
the Dehua kilns (For information on He Chaozong, see: Rose
Kerr, “Introductory Remarks on Dehua Ware”, in John Ayers, Rose
Kerr, et al., Blanc de Chine: Porcelain from Dehua, A Catalogue of
the Hickley Collection, Singapore, Richmond, UK, 2002, pp. 10-
11). His dates unrecorded, He Chaozong previously was thought
to have worked in the first half of the 17th century, but recent
research has revealed that he was active already in the 16th
century; in fact, some Chinese scholars believe him to have been
active as early as 1522 (see R. Kerr, op. cit., p. 10).
The extraordinarily sensitive modeling, as seen in the face,
fingers, and toes, attests to this work’s early date among
sculptures from Dehua, as does its exceptionally deft handling
of the drapery, with its naturalistic folds and thin, razor-sharp
edges. In fact, with its beautifully rendered folds, the drapery
is the perfect foil for, the perfect counterpoint to, the smooth
surfaces of the face and chest, the drapery injecting sufficient
textural variation to add visual interest yet not so much as to
distract from the sculpture’s contemplative feel, let alone to
overwhelm it. The attention given to the well-conceived and
flawlessly molded lotus base also points to the sculpture’s
relatively early date.
Robert D. Mowry 毛瑞
Alan J. Dworsky Curator of Chinese Art Emeritus, Harvard Art
Museums, and Senior Consultant, Christie’s