Page 9 - Wrathful Images

WRATHFUL DEITIES

BY JEFF WATT, DIRECTOR OF

HIMALAYAN ART RESOURCES

金姿威容

傑夫‧瓦特，學者、策展人

喜馬拉雅藝術資源網

ach of these spectacularly large and rare bronze figures of Tibetan Buddhist deities—Kapaladhara
Hevajra (Tib. Kye-dorje thod-pa chang) and Panjarnata Mahakala (Tib. Gur-gyi Gonpo) —is not only of
Ethe highest quality but also exemplifies the distinct Yuan-inspired style of the Imperial Ming workshop
where they were produced.

Panjarnata Mahakala (Tib. Gur-gyi Gonpo) is a popular figure in both painting and sculpture. He has been
well represented in art over the past millennium with hundreds of excellent examples in a variety of styles
originating from Pala-period India, spreading throughout the Himalayan regions, Northern China and
beyond. From the Yuan dynasty (1279–1368), and Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Yongle (r.1403–1424) and
Xuande periods (r.1425–1435), there are more than a dozen extant examples with a number of them being
masterworks by any standard applied. The sculpture represented here is one of the very best examples
of Chinese artistry and craftsmanship of the time. Two characteristics stand out above others as being
truly impressive. First, the size of the piece (29 1/8 in., 74 cm. in height) is outstanding and the quality of the
details fully in the round is the second.
Panjarnata is particularly important to and promoted by the Sakya tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, which
has five main lineages of teachings associated with this form. As such, not all originated by adapting the
Vajra Panjara Tantra. Since the present form of the deity is in sculptural form, the additional pieces of
iconography including the deity’s retinue are absent and, thus, preclude us from further specifying the form
of the deity we see here. Nevertheless, we know his primary role. The Sakya teachers were also dominant in
the Mongol court during the Yuan dynasty.

此二尊藏傳佛教造像魁偉端嚴，殊罕難得，其一為喜 藝術品中的最上乘之作，其罕見的尺寸及周全精細的
金剛，另一為寶帳大黑天，均屬御製，品質上乘無出 細節處理尤為引人注目。
其右，乃明初宮廷作坊汲取元代風格精髓之典範。
寶帳大黑天在藏傳佛教薩迦派中地位尤為重要，備
寶帳大黑天（藏文：Gur-gyi Gonpo）是佛教藝術中 受推崇。 與之相關的傳承法門達五種之多，而並非
一個常見形象，在過去的一千年裡，祂在藝術作品中 所有傳承都由《金剛幕續》而起。 造像學上來說，
得到了廣泛的展現。 這些作品起源於帕拉時期的印 由于此尊塑像並不具備隨從等額外造像特徵，因此
度，途經喜馬拉雅地區、中國北部而傳播開來，發展 無法進一步分辨其型式。 但這並不影響我們了知他
出多元的風格。 元代、永樂和宣德時期的作品尤其 的主要形象和象徵意義。 薩迦派在元代時地位重
程度高超，其中不乏傑作。 此件作品無疑是同代中國 要，薩迦派喇嘛們更是引領了蒙古朝廷的精神和宗
教生活。

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