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Marichi, the Goddess of the Dawn, known in Tibet as Ozer At the same time, he followed in the tradition of Khubilai
Chenma (literally, ‘Woman Endowed with Rays of Light’), is Khan by inviting important Tibetan Buddhist dignitaries to his
a female Buddhist deity associated with light and removing court. In 1406, the Yongle Emperor invited Deshin Shekpa,
obstacles. There are several forms of the goddess, but the the Fifth Karmapa and head of the Karma Kagyu sect to
present figure is depicted as Kalpoktam Marichi, with three Nanjing, where he spent two years as a spiritual advisor to
faces and eight hands. Her heavenly vehicle is variously a pig, the Emperor. Similarly, he requested Tsongkhapa, head of
horse, or chariot drawn by pigs, and, indeed, the lotus base the reformist Gelug sect, to visit in both 1408 and 1413; while
of the present figure would have likely fit in to a gilt-bronze he declined to make the trip himself, Tsongkhapa sent his
figure of a pig, as seen in a very closely related example, also disciple, Shakya Yeshe, who remained in the capital for ten
with a Yongle six-character presentation mark and seated on a years. The result of this fruitful relationship was the increase
separately-cast caparisoned sow, in the collection of the Potala of imperially-sponsored Buddhist activities in China. Lavish
Palace in Lhasa (fig. A). While Marichi is worshipped in Tibet, gifts were exchanged between the visiting dignitaries and the
she is particularly popular in China, where she is also revered Emperor. The Yongle Emperor also moved the capital from
as the Daoist deity, Doumu. Despite this popularity, however, Nanjing to Beijing, which had previously been the capital
very few Yongle-period gilt-bronzes of Marichi are known, during the Yuan dynasty, and was still an important Buddhist
other than the present figure and the example in the Potala. pilgrimage site for Mongolian Buddhists. The Emperor
sponsored the construction of numerous Tibetan Buddhist
Both the current figure and the Potala example follow the temples within the capital, and his successors, in particular
Imperial style of Buddhist sculpture established during the the Xuande Emperor, maintained this lavish patronage.
early Ming dynasty. Following the tumultuous transition
from the Yuan dynasty to the Ming in 1368, the 15th century Certainly more works of art depicting Tibetan-style Buddhist
witnessed the expansion of religious and artistic patronage. deities and imagery were produced during this period than
The Yongle Emperor (r. 1402-1424) was a supporter of the under any other Chinese emperor, with the exception of the
Three Teachings (Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism), Qing Emperor Qianlong. It is possible the present figure was
and understood the political capital to be gained through commissioned as a gift for a Tibetan dignitary or institution,
Imperial support of the various institutions. He credited the as is likely the case with the example in the Potala Palace
Daoist deity Zhenwu, the Perfected Warrior, for his successful Collection, or was intended for worship within the Ming
usurpation of power from his nephew, the Jianwen Emperor, capital of Beijing.
and ordered the construction of a massive Daoist temple
complex at Wudang Shan.
96 Masterpieces of Buddhist Art 大俱足 — 經典亞洲佛教藝術
