Page 192 - 2019 October Important Chinese Art Sotheby's Hong Kong

This square sutra plaque is made from lazurite with a Copying sutras was a requisite form of Buddhist religious
dark-blue tone and gold flecks. One side of it is carved, practice for lay believers and clergy alike. Seeking wisdom
as a central icon, with Shakyamuni Buddha dressed in and insight as rulers, the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong
drapery and seated on a pedestal in the meditative lotus Emperors all found time in their busy schedules to recite
pose. The Buddha rests his right hand resting on his right and copy sutras. Midian zhulin, a catalogue of Buddhist texts
knee and points his right index pointing downwards in the in the Qianlong court, records as many as seven hundred
bhumisparsha or “earth-touching” mudra (also known volumes-worth of copies of the Heart Sutra made by the
as “evil-subduing” mudra). Around him are myriad other Emperor himself since he ascended the throne in 1735.
buddhas in different seated poses. The faces of all the Qianlong Emperor also frequently copied the Diamond Sutra,
buddhas are intricately carved and gold-leaved, creating a the Infinite Life Sutra, and the Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment,
solemn atmosphere. On the other side of the plaque, the etc. According to historical documents, in his early years
text of the Heart Sutra is engraved and filled in gold inside a Qianlong Emperor tended to copy sutras on the first day of
double square frame. It ends with a dated signature reading the year and on the Buddha’s Birthday (eighth day of the
Qianlong gengwu dong shanghuan yubi (imperially brushed fourth month). After the 40th year of his reign, he copied
by Qianlong in the first third of the eleventh month of the the Heart Sutra on the first and the 15th day of every month
gengwu year [1750]) and two seal impressions reading without exception. Among the hundreds of sutra copies that
respectively Qian and Long. Qianlong made during his lifetime, the majority are of the
Heart Sutra.
Also known as lapis lazuli, lazurite is one of the seven
treasures of Buddhism. In classical Chinese thought, it was In October 1978, a group of important Buddhist artefacts
considered a symbol of the utmost authority of Heaven. was discovered in the underground chamber of the White
Lazurite was documented already during the Warring States Pagoda of Miaoying Temple on Fuchengmen neidajie in
period in the “Yugong” chapter of the Shangshu, where it Beijing. Among them, Qianlong Emperor’s copy of the Heart
is called qiulin. According to this chapter, Yong Province Sutra was a highlight. This object was interred in the White
(present-day northwestern China) sent qiulin as a tribute Pagoda in 1753 during a repair, although is dated to the
to the court of the Xia Dynasty. The character lin in qiulin, gengwu year or 1750. In style and format, the calligraphy on
referring originally to beautiful glue and green jade, is part the lot on offer is almost identical to the White Pagoda Heart
of a common Chinese phrase that describing something Sutra. Both appear to be Qianlong Emperor’s close copies of
dazzlingly beautiful. According to Qing huidian tukao the renowned Tang-dynasty calligrapher Ouyang Xun’s (557-
(Illustrated Collected Statues of the Qing Dynasty), the 641) rendition of the same text.
emperor was to wear a lazurite belt as part of his ritual attire Consisting of only 260 characters, the Heart Sutra is
for his sacrifices to Heaven because “the colour of lazurite so named because it is a distillation of the 600-volume
resembles that of Heaven.” Indeed, lazurite was material Prajñāpāramitā Sutra (Perfect of Wisdom Sutra). In this
fitting for the Son of Heaven.
invaluable artefact, the Qianlong Emperor has not only
The Qing emperors promoted Buddhism, adopting the Han copied the text but also had it engraved on precious lazurite,
Chinese’s syncretism of the three traditions of Confucianism, giving beautiful material form to his religious devotion
Buddhism, and Daoism. The Qianlong Emperor in particular and his lifelong pursuit of the Bodhisattva ideal of wisdom
was an avid student of Buddhism, regarding himself as an articulated in the text.
incarnation of Manjushri and ordering thangka artists at
his court to paint his own visage into their works. Buddhist
shrines built by his order were everywhere in the Forbidden
City. Every day, Qianlong conducted the Buddhist rituals of
burning incense, venerating icons, and chanting sutras.

190 SOTHEBY ’S IMPORTANT CHINESE ART