Page 18 - CHRISTIE'S Buddhist Art Japanese Collections 09/14/17

The highly stylized representation of the folds of the robes and
the fames on the aureole, which are shown as very narrowly
spaced parallel grooves, is an unusual stylized feature of some
Northern Wei gilt-bronze Buddhist fgures, which may have been
inspired by the manner in which very thin fabric drapes itself in
almost pleat-like folds around the body. The same kinds of robes
and fames can been seen on a number of fgures illustrated in
Comprehensive Illustrated Catalogue of Chinese Buddhist Statues
in Overseas Collections, vol. 1, pls. 69, 75, 80, 81 and 89. Not only
are the robes and fames of these votive fgures stylized, but so
are the faces and bodies. A more naturalistic depiction of the
fgure and the robes can be seen in three gilt-bronze Buddha
fgures, also of Northern Wei date, where the diaphanous robes
fall around the body, in very fne, but more realistic folds,
pls. 60-63.

Several similar Northern Wei dynasty dated votive shrines
that also have the three additional small fgures of Buddha
surrounding the central fgure of Shakyamuni Buddha on
the front, but no additional Buddhas on the back, have been
published. One with an inscription dated to the 22nd year of
Taihe, AD 498, is illustrated by Jin Shen, Hai wai ji Gang Tai cang
li dai fo xiang: zhen pin ji nian tu jian (Catalogue of Treasures of
Buddhist Sculpture in Overseas Collections Including Hong
Kong and Taiwan), Shanxi, 2007, p. 429 (top), as well as in
Comprehensive Illustrated Catalogue of Chinese Buddhist Statues
in Overseas Collections, vol. 1, pl. 67. This votive fgure was
subsequently sold at Christie’s New York, 19-20 September
2013, lot 1460. Other dated examples illustrated by Jin Shen in
Zhongguo lidai jinian foxiang judian (Illustrated Chinese Buddha
Images through the Ages) Beijing, 1995, include no. 12, in
the Freer Gallery of Art, AD 415; no. 34, in a private Japanese
collection, AD 482; no. 52, in the Shodo Museum, Tokyo, AD 489;
and no. 81, in a Japanese private collection, AD 509. Another,
undated, example from the collection of Sakamoto Gorō was sold
at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 5 October 2016, lot 3210.

The three Buddhas on the front and the four Buddhas on the
reverse of the current votive fgure likely represent the Seven
Buddhas of the Past, previous Buddhas who came to earth before
Shakyamuni. Usually the Seven Buddhas include Shakyamuni
and are: Vipasyin, Sikhin, Visabhu, Krakucchanda, Kanakamuni,
Kasyapa and Shakyamuni.

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