Page 58 - Christie's Buddhist Art May 29, 2019 Hong Kong

ELEGANCE PERSONIFIED:

A PAIR OF STANDING BODHISATTVAS

Robert D. Mowry
Alan J. Dworsky Curator of Chinese Art Emeritus,
Harvard Art Museums, and Senior Consultant, Christie’s

Wooden sculptures from the Five Dynasties Նջ (907–960) and Northern ଻᧊⦪ॼ
Song ࢈໬ (960–1127) periods are exceptionally rare; that these majestic
sculptures not only have survived but have remained together as a pair ᕱ⣐⬳Ⲭ⒤ӏˏയ
signals their extraordinary importance and elevates them to the status ᤀῊ
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of revered treasures. Published as early as 1924, these refined and very
ޯζ૯ೀⳔ⻒ښḵ㩉̯ᨕ㒴᝟ㅁ˹ͯᔎ
compelling figures rank among the masterworks of Chinese Buddhist ωૈྴ㭙♒㧣ࠑ
sculpture.
Elegantly outfitted in the sumptuous trappings of an Indian prince of old,
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these exquisite sculptures represent bodhisattvas ⵐ⻉ , benevolent beings ׹⯇Նջ卻ݩ݉ ⯍ ჺ卼ক࢈໬卻ݩ݉
who have attained enlightenment ⵐᓽ but who have selflessly postponed ⯍ ჺ卼⎏ណ㫌༯ⲋ᛻ᛆ卿⩧ᛓ᪖ᐽ㐈⎏㘺ཌ
entry into nirvana ᱯᦏ in order to assist other sentient beings— ᝳካ or ӳԧណ㫌Ӷۣ٠ໄ⯍ի卿ӻխս㜩ཌԠන߅→卿⎽
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␕⊂ —in gaining enlightenment. A bodhisattva is an altruistic being who
㰆㫙⬒ज㏟卿ᛓ㫙ᇑӬ㇦⎏⻱ワ⇷༾ǯݦཉ㫌۬
embodies the Mahayana Buddhist ഌԧדᘰ ideal of delivering all living

creatures from suffering ᛿ᄟ ␕ ⊂ . Richly attired, bodhisattvas, who ᚝ᙻ ჺႡ㇦ᙻⶬ㢙卿 ݯ႙⻱⩠♾Ǯᯧ⏟ⴃ୍卿
may be presented either standing or seated, are represented with long ౑♑ԋஇדᘰ㫌۬⎏஝⯈Ԡהǯ
hair characteristically arranged in a tall coiffure, or bun, atop the head
and often with long strands of hair cascading over the shoulders, as seen
Հ۬மהऒࣇᄟℳຽᏢᏳ卿・㱈ⵖ㏟卿սⵐ⻉㙁௛
in these sculptures. Bodhisattvas wear ornamental scarves, dhotis of rich
silk brocade, and a wealth of jewellery that typically includes necklaces, ߅→ǯ ⵐ⻉጑ኙἃ᎜卿㫍Ⴁ㌴ⵐᓽ卿ֿ࣐ᒩႠἃ՞卿

armlets, bracelets, and anklets. Each of these figures wears a scarf and a ⎉㯳᳢⏌ᝳካ␕⊂ංݣᱯᦏǯ ᘢ᫉卿ⵐ⻉㵲→Ի
necklace, for example, as well as a crown that encloses the high topknot
ഌԧדᘰ᛿᳢␕⊂⎏Ὅ☆⠢▵ǯⵐ⻉അ・㱈⥝⤾卿
of hair. Though bodhisattvas generally are shown barefoot, as in these
sculptures, both early Indian and early Chinese images of bodhisattvas ᎵஶᎵ⛁卿㧩㶂჎⣣ἃ㮱㶌卿ڬᝳ㶂⣫ௗᐲ⫒㯔卿
may be shown wearing sandals, often of plaited straw. 4 Ӭ፽⁞ᇨ⎐㇦ᙻទᐽ৅ǯ㩶ႵႼক⥫㢶ࢮㅗം卿
ⵐ⻉ᝤᶕ㱈≄ⅷ卿㯝㮴Ǯ⮥⭑ক㑷㓎ഌഅמᝳ༾
These sculptures represent two specific bodhisattvas, Avalokitesvara, the
㞧ǯսទᐽ৅ἃ׾卿Հⵐ⻉ம㱈ႵႼ⯝㮴㥂卿㵶㶌
bodhisattva of infinite compassion—who is known formally in Chinese
as Guanshiyin Pusa ㈊ӽ㮥ⵐ ⻉ , or more simply as Guanyin Pusa ㈊㮥 ∪מ༾ވӬ㮱ǯ㫍὞ⵐ⻉ս㒟㑷⩢཰അ卿᧙ᅴ⯝ទ
ⵐ⻉ —and Mahasthamaprapta, the bodhisattva of the power of wisdom,
ᐽ৅⏟ऱ卿ֿ᚝ឆ⎏ࣇᄟকԋஇ㙁۬Ԡԋ卿Ԯᝳ⭧
who is known in Chinese as Dashizhi Pusa ഌࡥ⯍ⵐ ⻉ . By Tang times
㓀ⱉ㭗ᎵⳞ㭗⎏׾ຽǯ
৿ᛞջ (618–907) these two bodhisattvas typically were presented as a
pair and in association with the Buddha Amitabha 㩛ᆚ㩜 ד . In fact,
Guanyin is regarded as a spiritual emanation of Amitabha and is identified Հ۬पᝳᏒᑨ卿Ӭ⩢ᛓഌ጑ഌኙ㈊ӽ㮥ⵐ⻉卿Ꮅ➯
by the small representation of Amitabha that appears at the front of the ♑㈊㮥ⵐ⻉卿औӬཉᛓ㎜ᇨᜊጮ⎏ഌࡥ⯍ⵐ⻉ǯ
bodhisattva’s crown. Symbolising wisdom, the long-necked water bottle ᭢
ᛞ⯍৿ջ卻ݩ݉ ⯍ ჺ卼卿ݦ⩢჎ս㩛ᆚ㩜
≡ —in other instances, a covered jar—at the front of the crown identifies
the other bodhisattva as Dashizhi. 5 דႚठ⬘׿⎏ᆨ㎜߅→ǯ༰㪡ӳ卿㈊㮥ԛ㩛ᆚ㩜ד

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