Page 47 - Christie's Hong Kong May 31, 2017 Fine Buddhist Works of Art

2812 Continued

The composition of the current lot is similar to a painting of 美國紐約大都會博物館藏有一幅繪於萬曆二十一年的九蓮觀音像。該
Nine-Lotus Bodhisattva in the collection of the Metropolitan 圖具萬曆紀年題款，據悉該像觀音之面容，是按照明神宗的母親慈
Museum of Art, New York (18.139.2). According to the 聖皇太后所作，以紀念觀音菩薩為慈聖李太后「托夢授經」及某日上
inscribed colophon dated to 1593 on the Metropolitan Museum 天因感太后仁慈而在宮中忽降瑞蓮之事跡。此兩件神跡發生之後，太
painting, the facial features of the deity were based on the 后遂逐漸確立其「九蓮菩薩」轉世身份，並在明末年間推崇起九蓮
countenance of the Empress Dowager Cisheng (1544-1641), 觀音的信仰。而是件拍品之構圖則與大都會博物館之九蓮觀音像構
the mother of Emperor Wanli (r. 1573-1619), and the work 圖極為相似。
was commissioned to commemorate two miraculous events that
occurred in 1586 and 1587: the first was a dream revelation 此外，北京西郊慈壽寺內現仍存有一石碑，碑身線刻「九蓮菩薩」，
from the deity to the Empress Dowager, the second was the 其上右側見有慈聖皇太後印璽一枚，並附「大明萬曆丁亥年造」款及
unanticipated appearance of lotus blossoms in her garden, 萬曆皇帝之讚詞。此九蓮菩薩的構圖，明顯與大都會博物館之「九蓮
affirming the Empress Dowager as the reincarnation of the deity. 觀音」及此件拍品相同，史學家認為該石碑上的九蓮觀音像，當為明
末盛行的「九蓮觀音」形像之粉本。
The earliest representation of the Nine-Lotus Bodhisattva
iconography appears to be a stele dated by inscription to 1587, 類似的九蓮觀音畫像，還可參考2012年9月12日於紐約邦瀚斯拍賣，
located at the Cishou Monastery west of Beijing, which is 拍品2021號。
engraved with an image of the deity, accompanied by the seal
of the Empress Dowager and an eulogy by the Wanli Emperor. 有關大都會博物館「九蓮觀音」的研究，可參考Marsha Weidner，
This shares a nearly identical composition with the Metropolitan 「Imperial Engagements with Buddhist Art and Architecture」，
Museum painting and may have been the source of inspiration 《Cultural Intersections in Later Chinese Buddhism》，夏威夷大學出
of all subsequent depictions of the deity in different media 版社，檀香山，2001年，頁128-129；以及Weidner的「Images of the
popularised during the early seventeenth century. Nine-Lotus Bodhisattva and the Wanli Empress Dowager」，發表於
《中國史研究》，第35輯，2005年4月30日，頁245-278。
Compare to another painting of the same subject with a similar
composition, sold at Bonham’s New York, 12 September 2012, 此畫經韋富達輻射碳實驗室碳-14測試，定年介於1416至1516年；裝
lot 2021. 裱邊料之測試斷代，則介於1485至1661年之間。

For a discussion on the Metropolitan Museum painting, see
Marsha Weidner, ‘Imperial Engagements with Buddhist Art and
Architecture’ in Cultural Intersections in Later Chinese Buddhism,
University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, 2001, pp. 128-129;
and also another article by the same author, ‘Images of the
Nine-Lotus Bodhisattva and the Wanli Empress Dowager’ in
Chungguksa yongu (The Journal of Chinese Historical Researches),
no. 35, April 30, 2005, pp. 245-278.

A carbon date (C14) test from the Rafter Radiocarbon Laboratory
no. 28510/2 on a sample from this painting came to a calibrated
date from 1416 to 1516, and the result of an additional C14 test
from the Rafter Radiocarbon Laboratory no. R28423 on a sample
from the side is dated between the years 1485 to 1661.

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