Page 49 - 2019 September 10th Sotheby's Important Chinese and Tibetan Buddhist Art, New York

THE EMBODIMENT OF

COMPASSION 慈悲化身

he stylistic qualities of this figure of the ‘God of Compassion’
indicate that it was cast in the second half of the 15th century 此尊觀世音菩薩風格造型為典型的十五
Tor 16th century. The rounded, full face was inherited from the 世紀下葉或十六世紀的代表。雙頰豐潤飽
prescribed Imperial 15th century outline seen in Xuande period figures, 滿，體態結實豐盈，蓮花座覆蓮瓣寬肥飽
as does the shapely torso and detailed lotus base with pendent 滿，內緣紋飾尖端上卷呈卷草狀，承襲十
sash embellishment. A Yongle mark and period gilt-bronze figure of 五世紀宣德時期御製銅鎏金佛像風格。比
Maitreya with a chilug at the proper right shoulder, similarly supported 一正德款例同樣施無畏印，飾迦陵頻伽及
肩頂甘露瓶，銘《正德十一年十一月二十一
by a lotus, was offered in these rooms, 21st September 2007, lot 34. 日》款，售於紐約佳士得2000年3月21日，
A related bronze figure, dated by inscription to the Zhengde period, 編號171。又有一銅漆金像，肩上迦陵頻伽
eleventh year, eleventh month, corresponding to 1516, with the same 及甘露瓶位置相反，帶彩漆蓮花座，售於
mudra and attributes but lacking the ewer and with a slightly different 巴黎蘇富比2012年12月18日，編號62。另
lotus base, was sold at Christie’s New York, 21st March 2000, 比一銅鎏金像施相同無畏印及肩上紋飾，
lot 171. Compare as well a related gilt-lacquer figure, with the bird and 於紐約蘇富比1982年2月26日售出，編號
ewer in opposite positions, and with a polychrome-lacquered base 271，再有一件亦售於紐約蘇富比，1980年
of similar casting to the present example, sold in our Paris rooms, 2月28日，編號7。第三尊則是經香港佳士
得售出，1998年11月3日，編號1014。
18th December 2012, lot 62. See closely related bronze figures,
featuring the same mudra and attributes, one sold in these rooms, 佛像右肩頂端安置寶瓶，寶瓶原為藏傳佛
26th February 1982 lot 271, another 28th February 1980, lot 7, and a 教傳統，與唐代淨水瓶造型相似但尺寸較
third at Christie’s Hong Kong, 3rd November 1998, lot 1014. 小，Wladimir Zwalf在《Buddhism: Art and
Faith》，紐約，1985，頁208一書中有所討
The chilug or spyi-blug ewer seen near the present figure’s proper right 論。寶瓶原為喇嘛洗漱口腔之器皿，明朝
shoulder is a traditional Tibetan vessel, related to the larger kundika 時，以掐絲琺瑯製寶瓶法器，飾以蓮紋與
八寶紋，作祭祀器用，同時也有洗淨及淨
flasks of the Tang dynasty pottery which are larger but bear a similar
form and outline, as discussed in Wladimir Zwalf, Buddhism: Art and 化的寓意。見一掐絲琺瑯例，為大英博物
館館藏，斷代十五世紀初，出處同上，編號
Faith, New York, 1985, p. 208. The chilug was used by monks as part 301。又有一例，見《禮律寶藍：樂從堂藏
of a cleansing ritual with water poured into the mouth and rinsed, 重要掐絲琺瑯器》，香港蘇富比，2018年，
and in the Ming dynasty, was recreated in cloisonne-enamel and 編號5。再見一永樂彌勒佛例，右肩頂寶
decorated with lotuses and other Buddhist emblems. In this context, 瓶，飾相似蓮紋，售於紐約蘇富比2007年9
the vessel carries the same connotations of cleansing and purification. 月21日，編號34。
See a cloisonne-enamel example in the British Museum, attributed
to the early 15th century, illustrated ibid., cat. no. 301, and another,
illustrated in Ritual and Colour: Important Cloisonné Vessels from the
Le Cong Tang Collection, Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 2018, cat. no. 5. A
Yongle mark and period gilt-bronze figure of Maitreya with a chilug at
the proper right shoulder, similarly supported by a lotus, was offered in
these rooms, 21st September 2007, lot 34.