Page 46 - 2020 October 8 HK Fine Classical Paintings

THE ENIGMATIC AVALOKITESHVARA
Regina Krahl

This gilt-bronze Avalokiteshvara figure is highly idiosyncratic in It would seem that the sculptors of the present figure had range of 970-1120), illustrated in Denise Patry Leidy and
style and outstandingly rare, with only one other comparable not yet seen a Yongle image and were thus innocent enough Lawrence Becker, Wisdom Embodied. Chinese Buddhist and
sculpture being recorded, in the Asian Art Museum of San to formulate their own style. Between Tang and Ming (1368- Daoist Sculpture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York,
Francisco, from the Avery Brundage collection. While its 1644) dynasties, a multitude of imperial and royal courts – the 2010, cat. no. A38.
modelling and casting quality is beyond any doubt, it is not Five Dynasties (907-60), Liao, Song (960-1279), Jurchen Jin Stylistically, facial features and proportions of this sculpture
easy to immediately place it in the history of Chinese Buddhist (1115-1234), Tangut Western Xia (1038-1227) and Mongol are also reminiscent of Guanyin images carved into the rock
bronze sculpting. Yuan (1279-1368) – exerted influence on the appearance of at the Huayan Caves, Anyue county, Sichuan province, which
Buddhist gilt bronze figures were produced in China almost works of art, both religious and secular, so that not one style can be attributed to the Northern Song dynasty; see Zhongguo
right from the start, when Buddhism was embraced by gained overall acceptance. The stylistic variety of works of art meishu quanji: Diaosu bian [Complete series on Chinese art:
various courts in the period of China’s division after the Han in that period can therefore be overwhelming, and the artistic Sculpture section], 12: Sichuan shiku diaosu [Sichuan cave
dynasty (206 BC – AD 220). Until the Tang dynasty (607- development is by no means one-directional. sculpture], Beijing, 1988, pls 128 and 130.
906), however, they remained very small. A first development The present sculpture is therefore something like a phare in The closely related gilt-bronze Avalokiteshvara figure in the
away from small votive images took place already in the an uncharted sea. It comes from a period when the Guanyin Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, which is lacking the rich
Khitan Liao dynasty (907-1125), when sculptures not only image had not yet turned ornaments and ribbons around the head, is illustrated in René-
became bigger, but also underwent a stylistic treatment sweet and feminine, Yvon Lefebvre d’Argencé, ed., Chinese, Korean and Japanese
towards a more abstract sculptural beauty. Yet it was to and although the basic Sculpture in the Avery Brundage Collection, San Francisco,
take another important step before precious gilt-bronze facial features suggest 1974, pl. 159 (fig. 3).
images such as the present figure, in a size comparable to a woman’s face, the
the much cheaper wooden sculptures, were commissioned. addition of small curls While Yuan dynasty qingbai figures of similar size may at first
This development culminated in the Yongle period (1403-24), to indicate beard and glance seem closely related, they tend to be much softer and
when the court took total control of their production – as it did moustache are an more distinctly feminine in appearance; see four Guanyin
for other artefacts, in particular porcelain and lacquer – and unmistakeable effort figures, from the collections of C.P. Lin, the Nelson-Atkins
a distinct style was devised, which should become classic to counterbalance Museum of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and
and determining for all future design of Buddhist gilt-bronze this effect. This the Metropolitan Museum, New York, illustrated in Stacey
images. way of representing Pierson, ed., Qingbai Ware: Chinese Porcelain of the Song and
Avalokiteshvara is fig. 3 Yuan Dynasties, London, 2002, pls 119-22.
characteristic of Tang Gilt-Bronze seated figure of a Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara with four It is highly unusual to find a Bodhisattva figure wearing a
painting executed at heads, Song dynasty, The Avery Brundage Collection, B60S543 dragon-decorated robe, but the dragons seen on the present
Dunhuang in Gansu © Asian Art Museum, San Francisco. Used by permission. gilt bronze also confirm a pre-Yuan attribution. Compare
圖三
province, either in form 宋 鎏金銅觀音菩薩坐像 similar seemingly boneless incised dragons with the head
of wall paintings inside 布倫德基舊藏 almost dissolved into a cloud motif and three-clawed feet with
the Caves or banners © 舊金山亞洲藝術博物館授權使用（編號：B60S543） nails not yet set off at an angle, on Song dynasty Ding wares,
and other textiles for example, a dish and a washer included in the exhibition
discovered there. Qianxi nian Songdai wenwu dazhan/China at the Inception of
the Second Millennium: Art and Culture of the Sung Dynasty,
Models for the style of a e e
figure such as this could trait. Calligraphies et dessins du V au XIX siècle, Bibliothèque 960-1279, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2000, cat. nos II-21
have been sketches nationale de France, Paris, 2004, cat. no. 36a, where it has and III-17 (fig. 4).
as were done for wall been tentatively attributed by Nathalie Monnet to the late Tang
paintings, some of which or Five Dynasties, 10th century (fig. 1).
have survived. An ink This sketch is echoed in a large number of Buddhist paintings
sketch of a Bodhisattva from Dunhuang, done over an extended period from the late
head, drawn on the Tang through the Five Dynasties to the early Northern Song
reverse of an earlier (960-1127) dynasty, which can be attributed to the 9th and
Daoist manuscript 10th centuries. Compare, for example, paintings of Guanyin
that was used as figures illustrated in Jacques Giès, Les arts de l’Asie central. La
scrap paper, has been collection Paul Pelliot du musée national des arts asiatiques –
discovered at Dunhuang Guimet, Paris, 1996, vol. I, pls 52-72, and vol. II, pls 11-35.
and is now in the fig. 2 A group of paintings attributable to the 10th century, the
Bibliothèque nationale Guanyin with Thousand Arms and Five Dynasties to early Northern Song, shows an even closer
de France, Paris. It Thousand Eyes, detail, Northern Song Bodhisattva image with multiple heads similar to the present
shows a very similar Dynasty, 10th century figure, often with an eye on the forehead and hands, also richly
head with moustache © Musée Guimet, Paris, Dist (no. EO adorned with jewellery and often with similar facial features; fig. 4
1173). RMN-Grand Palais / Droits
and beard, sharply réservés see in particular Giès, op.cit., vol. I, pls 86, 89-93, and vol. II, pls Dingyao Dish with Incised Dragon, detail, Northern Song Dynasty,
fig. 1 curved eyebrows, thick 圖二 64 and 65 (fig. 2). 11th Century
National Palace Museum, Taipei
Ink Sketch of a Bodhisattva Head, detail, Late Tang to Five Dynasties, 10th lips, neck with horizontal 北宋十世紀 千手千目觀音菩薩像（ 圖四
century, discovered at Dunhuang, Gansu folds, and rich jewellery 局部） There is also a standing wooden Bodhisattva figure carved in 北宋十一世紀 定窰白瓷劃龍紋蓮瓣盤（局部）
© Bibliothèque nationale de France and ribbons; it was 巴黎吉美國立亞洲藝術博物館藏品（編 a related style in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 台北國立故宮博物院
圖一 included in the exhibition 號：EO 1173） possibly also from the Dunhuang Cave complex in Gansu,
晚唐或五代十世紀 白描草稿（局部，觀音菩薩頭像） 甘肅敦煌 Chine: L’empire du © Musée Guimet, Paris, Dist. RMN-Grand attributed to the 10th/11th century (with a radiocarbon date
© 法國國家圖書館 Palais / Droits réservés

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