Page 52 - September 11 2018 Junkunc Collection Sculpture

Massive Buddha figures continued to be carved into the rock also at other important sites: At Longmen,
for example, the massive seated Vairocana Buddha of the Fengxiansi Cave, built between 672 and
675, measures some 17 m; but even smaller cave temple projects, such as Gongxian in Henan or
Tianlongshan in Shanxi, still boast highly impressive figures, such as a standing Buddha of 5.3 m and a
seated one of 8 m, respectively.

Such monumental Buddha figures must have inspired free-standing stone sculptures. Surprisingly
large figures were commissioned also for temples, such as the nearly 6 m high Sui dynasty (581-618)
Buddha Amithabha, now in the British Museum, London, which in 585 was dedicated by inscription to
the Chongguang Temple in Hancui village, Hebei province. Free-standing Buddhist sculptures were even
carved – more in line with Confucian ideals – as offerings to dead parents, in fulfillment of filial piety.
While the monumental rock sculptures are extraordinary feats of craftsmanship, free-standing figures
could receive a much greater level of attention to detail.

䮑䰟ᇎⴠ⿌Вใ喑ڣЃ䛺㺮ⴠ⿌ϓᰶጕಸ҈׼喟ຯ咺 ຯₑᖏႼⴠ⿌҈׼喑ⰥԎᄺڣЃⴠ׼㸪҉ϓᰶઌ⮩ȡ
䪭ⴠ⿌๶ٵᄧ๔ᬒຯҳ׼喑ᐧ᫩672Ꭱ㜠675Ꭱ䫀喑 ᄧᐌӈ๶҈׼ϓ㺸ᅧᄥጕ๔㔲喑ຯ̭ᄷ䮸А䭬ᑹ䭭҈
㈱࡮̰ㆠ倅喠㔹䐰ᄼಸ͸ⴠ⿌ຯ⇠ࢄ䲼㍐Ƞᆞ㺬๖咺 ׼喑倅䓾ښㆠ喑⤫ႅ᫩՘᪓๔㠞ࢇ➖乕喑䟅᪴㈭䪸⮴
ᆞⴠ⿌喑ϓᐧᰶ๔ಸ䕍׼喑ݺ㔲㺸ᰶρ吋̶ㆠ倅⮱҈ ρᎡ喑͓㽅㾟׼᭯◧⇠ࡄ䴀ቁ᱾ሴٶᄧ㔹㸪ȡₑใ喑
⿸׼喑ᒹ㔲㺸ᰶژㆠ倅⮱҈౽׼ȡ ᰡᰶԎᒿ◧ٵ❣⃺᪙㸪҈׼喑В䶜ႊᓰ喑ₑ㜶ᰡこؿ
უᕊᘠȡ๔ಸⴠ䰂ᒝ䶜ࡍጒ䯱ᓰࣷ㇫⎈ឭ㬊喑㔹⢕⿸
҈׼ݴᰡߍᭀ᫩㬊ࡍᄺ㉝ロ⮱ݨ⪘ȡ

Above The Parke-Bernet Galleries auction catalogue illustration for the present lot, 30th-31st March 1955, lot 301.
̷ ᱙׼⹧᫩ Parke-Bernet Galleries ៺䈐ృ䠱喑1955Ꭱ3ᰵ30㜠31ᬒ喑㌕㮌301

50 JUNKUNC: CHINESE BUDDHIST SCULPTURE