Page 75 - Important Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, Hong Kong

Imperial Devotion:
An Important Early Ming Gilt-Bronze
Figure of Vajrabhairava Ekavira

皇權佛威 — 明初鎏金銅大威德金剛像

This impressively cast and rare monumentally-sized figure of 本鎏金銅威羅瓦金剛像造形敦碩龐大，神態威嚴莊穆，
Vajrabhairava is among the largest and most significant works of 造工精湛入微，鎏金璀璨質厚，為近年市場中最大型
Tibeto-Chinese sculpture to appear on the market in many years. 及最具代表性的藏傳佛教造像之一。其工藝卓絕，體
The unprecedented size and level of detail suggests it was produced 積碩大，應當為十五世紀北京製造的皇家御製造像無
in the imperial workshops of Beijing in the 15th century, a period of 疑。北京為元蒙故都，元代帝王篤信藏傳佛教，在京
wide-reaching cultural exchange and religious efflorescence within 城大興寺廟佛塔。明永樂皇帝亦心誠向佛，為表禮佛
Ming China. The Yongle Emperor moved the capital from Nanjing 之心，在率國遷都北京後，繼續不惜資財，大舉營建
to Beijing, which had previously been the capital during the Yuan 及修葺佛庵，其子嗣亦對僧侶眷顧有加，故十五世紀
dynasty, and was still an important Buddhist pilgrimage site for 出現大量造工極為精美絕倫的宮廷佛像及供奉器，而
Mongolian Buddhists. The Emperor sponsored the construction 本尊正是其中之一。
of numerous Tibetan Buddhist temples within the capital, and his
successors maintained this lavish patronage. 風格上，本威羅瓦金剛像承襲元蒙時代藏傳佛像的尼泊
爾傳統。早於十三世紀，元世祖忽必烈的國師八思巴邀
Stylistically, the present lot follows the Nepalese tradition established 請尼泊爾雕塑師阿尼哥來華，擔任總管為朝廷塑造佛像
in Beijing during the Yuan dynasty. The Tibetan Chogyal Pagpa 和興建塔廟，因其帶領的部下多為西藏或尼泊爾人，故
(1235-1280), abbot of Sakya monastery and personal guru to Kublai 作品多見該區域之風格。時至明初，宮廷造像仍深染元
Khan, invited the esteemed Nepalese artisan, Araniko (also spelled 蒙遺風，富有尼、藏風格，但亦同時逐漸漢化，尤可見
Aniko or Anige), to Beijing, where he was appointed head of the 於本威羅瓦金剛腳下匍匐人像的面容。
imperially-sponsored atelier. During this time, most of the Buddhist
craftsmen working in Beijing were Nepalese or Tibetan, and they
followed Tibetan iconographic parameters. During the Ming dynasty,
these iconographic and stylistic elements were largely retained,
although the greater involvement of Chinese artisans resulted in a
gradual sinicizsation of the style, especially apparent in the present
work in the facial features of the prostrate figures.

Vajrabhairava is an important deity in all sects of Tibetan Buddhism, 威羅瓦金剛為藏傳佛教中的重要神靈，更是格魯派中
but perhaps none more so than in the Gelug school. The founder of 最神聖的守護神之一。格魯派創始人宗喀巴羅桑紮巴
that tradition, Tsongkhapa, popularised the worship of Vajrabhairava （1357-1419）於十四世紀創導改革，使威羅瓦金剛
in the 14th century, and also systemised his represented iconography; 開始廣受信徒崇信，並將威羅瓦金剛的形象規範化，
among other aspects, the arrangement of the additional faces in 例如本尊威羅瓦金剛有九面三十四臂十六足，主面為
a circular manner around the back of the head became almost 牛頭，次面圍繞著腦後成一圈，可算是格魯派特有的
exclusively reserved for Gelugpa depictions of the deity. As this 表達方式，故此可確定此尊是依據格魯派傳統而製。
feature is present in the current work, one can ascertain that it was 威羅瓦金剛，連同密集金剛 、上樂金剛，係格魯派無
created according to Gelugpa principles. Within that tradition, 上瑜伽部金剛族中最重要的尊神，被認為是文殊菩薩
Vajrabhairava is one of the principle meditation deities of the 的忿怒相。值得留意的是，宗喀巴大師與永樂皇帝均
Anuttarayoga practice, alongside Guhyasamaja and Chakrasamvara. 被視為文殊菩薩的轉世，故威羅瓦金剛在格魯派及中
He is considered a wrathful manifestation of Manjusri; significantly, 原廣受推崇，可能與此有關。
Tsongkhapa as well as the Chinese emperor were also considered
manifestations of this bodhisattva, explaining in part his popularity
within China and Gelug-Tibet.

Among the most impressive of the Chinese-made Buddhist images
from this period are a group of monumentally-sized gilt-bronzes, of

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