Page 297 - 2018 Hong Kong Important Chieese Art

This rare sculpture belongs to a group of distinctive bronze 釋迦牟尼佛坐像，造於雲南大理國（十至十三世紀），造
figures produced in Yunnan in southwestern China during 像風格得中原及南亞文化影響，甚為獨特，此像垂目半
the rule of the Dali Kingdom from the 10th to 13th centuries,
闔、寬鼻、厚唇，均屬此系佛像特點。
which display a unique blend of Chinese and Southeast
Asian influences. Buddha images in this group have similar 往昔，大理國造像鮮為人知，1944年，美國學者 Helen
characteristic facial features with half-open eyes, broad noses
Burwell Chapin 出版專著論述雲南畫師張勝溫，《大
and prominent lips.
理國梵像圖卷》，並發現時存西洋收藏的一批造像，
Images from the Dali Kingdom were not recognised as such
應出自雲南，遂發表專文〈Yunnanese Images of
and were often misattributed. In 1944, American scholar
Helen Burwell Chapin, who had studied and published the Avalokitesvara〉，《哈佛亞洲研究學報》，卷8，1944
Yunnanese artist’s Zhang Shengwen’s Long Scroll of Buddhist 年，頁131-186。自此，數件大理造像得以正名，如一尊
Images, discovered that a group of bronze images in Western 相類無量壽佛像，胸綴纓絡， 1998年4月28日售於香港
collections actually originated in Yunnan. She published her
佳士得，編號604，曾被斷為遼代，後正為十二世紀大理
findings in her ground-breaking article ‘Yunnanese Images of
Avalokitesvara’, Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, vol. 8, 1944, 造像，Marylin M. Rhie，〈An Early Tibetan Thangka of
pp. 131-186. Since then, many images have been reattributed Amitayus〉，《Orientations》，1998年10月，頁79，
as being from the Dali Kingdom, such as a related figure of 圖7。
Amitabha Buddha, but adorned with an additional elaborate
necklace, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 28th April 1998, lot 大理佛造像珍罕，佛手常見施不同手印，參考上海博物館
604, where it was attributed to the Liao dynasty. That figure 藏一例，造於十二世紀下半葉，錄於戴克成，《Thirtieth
has since been reattributed to the 12th century of the Dali
Anniversary 1980-2010》，巴黎，2011年，頁30，此像
Kingdom by Marylin M. Rhie, in her article ‘An Early Tibetan
Thangka of Amitayus’, Orientations, October 1998, p. 79, fig. 7. 身形、璧釧、衣袍褶紋，皆與本品相似。比較一尊佛坐
像，2012年3月20日售於紐約蘇富比，編號60；另一件鎏
Buddha images from the Dali kingdom are rare and are found
cast with hands in a variety of different mudra; see a related 金銅例，2016年12月14日售於巴黎佳士得，編號56；賽
example, now in the Shanghai Museum, attributed to the 克勒基金會舊藏一像，1976年7月6日售於倫敦蘇富比，
second half of the twelfth century, illustrated in Christian 編號24，2014年3月20日再次售於紐約佳士得；克里夫蘭
Deydier, Thirtieth Anniversary 1980-2010, Paris, 2011, p. 30. 藝術博物館亦藏有一像，展出於《The Arts of the T’ang
The shape of the body, the presence of an armband, and
the way the folds of the robes are rendered is very similar Dynasty》，洛杉磯郡立博物館，洛杉磯，1957年，編號
to the drapery of the present lot. Further figures of a seated 97，現已重新斷代為大理國十一世紀中期。
Buddha include a gilt-lacquered example sold in our New York
rooms, 20th March 2012, lot 60; a gilt bronze version sold at 史書述大理國佛教得胡、梵、漢風，且做為貿易樞紐，大
Christie’s Paris, 14th December 2016, lot 56; another from the 理與緬及其他南亞國家交往密切，多方文化之交流影響，
Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, sold at in our London rooms, 自然造就其造像藝術獨有面貌特徵。
6th July 1976, lot 24, and again at Christie’s New York, 20th
March 2014; and a fourth figure in the Cleveland Museum of
Art, Cleveland, included in the exhibition The Arts of the T’ang
Dynasty, Los Angeles County Museum, Los Angeles, 1957, cat.
no. 97, now reattributed to the mid-eleventh century of the Dali
Kingdom.
Historical texts claim that the Buddhism of Dali was influenced
by the Hu (a general Chinese term for people from China’s
northern and western frontiers), the Fan (a general term
used to describe ancient India and Sanskrit, and also Tibet)
and the Han Chinese. There was also clearly communication
between Burma and the kingdoms of Southeast Asia. All these
influences give their images a pan-Asian feel which is natural,
considering the Dali Kingdom’s location and the trade routes
at the time.

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