Page 50 - September 11 2018 Junkunc Collection Sculpture

Monumentality: A Magnificent and Large

Tang Head of Buddha

ᖏႼ䝲҉喟਽Аⴠ䰂҈仃׼

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onumentality, as expressed in monumental size, is not an obvious, indispensable
trait of religious imagery. It was introduced to China by the early imperial patrons
Mof Buddhism, the Northern Wei (386-534) ruling family, and remained an objective
for imperial and other ambitious donors until the Tang dynasty (618-907). This magnificent head is,
however, not only remarkable for its extraordinary size, but equally for its exquisite soft, even features
and its distinctly youthful expression.

As early as the 3rd century Chinese monks visited sacred places abroad, and introduced to China the
cave temple tradition of India, Afghanistan and Central Asia that they had encountered themselves or
heard about during their travels. Bamiyan, northwest of Kabul, with its 6th century Buddhas of 35 and
53m height, respectively, was only the most ambitious of such monumental stone carvings.

In China, Buddhist adepts, such as the monk Faguo, who was invited to the Northern Wei court by the
founder of the dynasty, Daowu (r. 386-409) and became an influential advisor, supported imperial
interest in their religion and at the same time justified their service for a worldly monarch by postulating
that the emperor was the living Buddha. Paying homage to the emperor thus meant venerating the
Buddha. The monk Tanyao, who held the highest clerical office and was instrumental in a revival of
Buddhism after a brief purge, oversaw the first grand cave temple commission by the imperial house, five
caves constructed between 460 and 465 at Yungang in Shanxi province, whose five main Buddha figures
were conceived to represent the current ruler, the young emperor Wencheng (r. 452-465) himself, and
his four predecessors on the throne. The largest, in Cave 20, is a seated figure of the founding emperor,
Daowu, measuring 13.7 m in height.

В咽๔㺼὎ҳᆂ⤫ᖏႼ⅐ࠏ͓䲋Ⴤ᪆㬊㶀ᒏ䆎ధᰶ➦ ҈᪆נڒ͚సᒹ喑͚సؔϧ఍᭯ݣ჉喑ຯ∂᳉হᅇᛶ
䈗喑䕆̭נ㊞ౕ͚సⷧ⿸᫩ࡄ偼᭯᱌喑᭯მᐤᅇ҈喑 ࡄ偼䖀ₓፊᄷ㿸ڒმ喑ᩜᠮ⮴ፊᣕࠂ҈᪆喑๶⮴ፊ◧
๔߈ᣕሴጕ፲䕍׼喑ᒹᐣ㎹㜠਽А喑მᐤ䇡㗱喑〣⮳ ≨҈喑В㋚䂤ؔϧҺ๶Ԅ̓⮴ፊ͸㜶喑఍⮴ፊ㠒◧≨
ⰥՐȡ㔹᱙׼ܧⱫ͸㮂喑̺ײײౕ᫩ڣᅧᄥጕ๔喑ϓ ҈喑ݴθैϓຯθ҈ȡ偼᪴᜽ፊᎡ䫀喑ؔϧ᯴ᰉᢹノ
఍ڣ䰂ጒ㇫⎈喑ݨ⪘㉝㛖喑㻭ڣρჅ䑗᐀喑Ꭰ䲉ᴁ ⇆䪭㊞喑఍҈᪆ౕₑݺ̭Ꮣ㷘⺮喑᯴ᰉᄺ҈᪆ᓖ㜵䇏
হ喑ᙵ㉍㢷௡ȡ ⢨㞜็喑ᰡͨᠮγ460Ꭱ㜠465Ꭱ䰟ᇎⴠ⿌⮱䪸䦬ȡ
䰟ᇎͰ仃Ը⩞᱊ᐤᓎБᐧ䕍⮱ⴠ⿌喑ڣ͚ρᄷ҈׼喑
ᬖ᫩ڙ̶ٰ̓㈭喑͚సؔϧጟ䖍䊡ใ䗓᱊㖃喑䕍㽗⪣
ͰА㶕⪣᭯ₐթ䱿Ꭱ⮱᪴᜽ፊВࣷఈѺٵፊ喑ڣ͚ᰭ
ౝⴠ⿌喑ᝃ᫩䕁͚㖪㖋࢝ᏓȠ䭬ჹↄ͚ࣷϋⴠ⿌נ
๔̭ᄷѺ᫩20㮌≋喑ᠶࡄ偼ᐧస⮴ፊ䖀ₓፊᒏ׼ᐧ
㊞ȡભጰ❫ࡄ䘕ጡㆠᤇږᄷ๔҈ᐧ᫩ښ̓㈭喑ܳݒ◧
䕍喑㍪倅࡮̶吋̰ㆠȡ
̶࡮ρࣷρ࡮̶ㆠ倅喑ज䀯ह䶋๔ಸⴠ䰂⪣͚ᰭڤ䯱
ᓰ͸ڥ㠰䝲҉ȡ

48 JUNKUNC: CHINESE BUDDHIST SCULPTURE