Page 45 - Contenplating the Divie Buddhist Art Christies Hong Kong

fig. 1 A polychrome wood figure of Water Moon Guanyin, c. 1200 fig. 2 A polychrome wood figure of Water Moon Guanyin, c. 1100-1200
Purchased with Art Fund support, the Vallentin Bequest, Sir Percival David and Artwork © On loan from the Asian Art Society in The Netherlands
the Universities China Committee 圖二 約 1100-1200 年 木雕彩繪水月觀音像
Photo © Victoria and Albert Museum, London 荷蘭亞洲協會借展於荷蘭國立博物館
圖一 約 1200 年 木雕彩繪水月觀音像
倫敦維多利亞與亞伯特博物館藏品

tendrils of hair, and he wears earrings in his pendant ear lobes. Round his 異其趣。本尊腰繫長裙，腰際束帶外翻，褶裙下
head is a delicate crown, with a space in the middle that may originally have 擺及踝；上身繫一婆羅門索結，肩披帔帛，斜飄
borne a small, seated image of the Buddha Amitabha, as was common. An 於胸前，末端恍若隨風輕揚。頂束一工整高髻，
elaborate necklace with dangling pendant hangs across his chest, while his 數綹青絲飄垂，長耳佩飾耳璫。此像頭戴精美寶
arms are adorned with bangles and armlets. In the centre of his forehead is 冠，冠正中有一穴，原先或飾常見的化佛坐像，
a depression that originally held a jewel, representing the third eye of divine 其胸飾纓絡，臂腕均佩鐲釧。觀音眉間凹處原應
perception. Luxurious dress and jewellery indicate that Bodhisattvas are 嵌寶，代表已開悟之天眼。菩薩出家前地位尊
noble figures, their attire based on the garb of Indian princes. This contrasts 顯，故其衣飾華美，作印度王子打扮，與佛祖簡
with the humble costume of the Buddha himself.
樸的衣著迥然有別。
Wooden statues with painted surfaces were made in large numbers
for Buddhist temples in north China during the 10th-13th centuries. 公元十至十三世紀，華北佛寺製作了大批彩繪木
They originally sat in a temple hall, along with other Buddhist figures of 雕。這些造像原來應與其他佛教神祇一同供奉於
veneration. Many northern temples were as extensive as palaces, and 大雄寶殿。北地佛寺多半氣勢恢宏，內中院落重
contained a series of courtyards in which stood magnificent buildings 重、殿宇林立，依次為佛殿、法堂和僧舍。觀音
devoted to worship, teaching and monks’ living quarters. Water Moon 及侍者常置於大殿主尊背屏之後，面向通往後進
Guanyins with attendants were often placed back-to-back with the main 院落的門廊，以庇佑佛門淨地、驅邪避兇。
Buddha image in an image hall, facing the rear, that lead into a further
courtyard. Thus they protected the sanctified domain against evil spirits. 研究人員在修復過程中發現，觀音本來的面貌似
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乎力求寫實 。但成像後的數百年間，此作至少
Conservation work on this sculpture reveals that the deity was 翻新過兩次。約在明代，觀音被徹底改成仿鎏金
probably originally designed to have a lifelike appearance. The figure 銅樣式，除了衣物凸飾花紋，更通體貼金。及至
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was subsequently redecorated at least twice over the centuries. It 十九世紀末或二十世紀初，造像表面再用棉紙裱
was probably in the Ming dynasty that the appearance of the statue 糊，使原來的精雕細刻益發朦朧，彩繪的用色亦
was completely changed to resemble gilt bronze, by applying raised 流於俗艷。但此像所在殿堂既有過堂風，又無供
patterns to the clothing and gilding the entire surface of the figure. In 暖設備，想必飽受風霜寒暑侵害，所以不時翻新
the late nineteenth or early twentieth century the surface of the statue
was covered with thin paper that obscured details of the fine carving 在所難免。善信視此為積福之舉，修復之資多來
beneath, and was painted in rather garish colours. These several phases 自信眾捐獻。
of redecoration were necessary because the sculpture was situated in 維多利亞與亞伯特博物館（V&A）（圖一）及
a draughty, unheated hall, and suffered depredation from the elements.
Refurbishment was carried out as an act of devotion that attracted merit 阿姆斯特丹美術館（圖二）均珍藏觀音像，兩者
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by worshippers, who often paid for the work to be carried out. 所作的研究和修復工作 ，揭示了雕像的造像和
裝飾細節。這兩個項目提供了一些實用的參照
Research and conservation projects on Guanyin figures in the Victoria and 點。V&A 觀音像是用泡桐木組件拼合而成，而
Albert Museum (fig. 1) and the Rijksmuseum have (fig. 2) revealed details of 是次拍賣的菩薩很可能也採用了類似的造像工

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