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Lot Essay
Stylistically, the current figure can be associated with a collection of Buddhist gilt-lacquer sculptures commissioned during the reigns of the Kangxi and Qianlong Emperors at the Buddhist site of Rehol, near Chengde in Hebei province. Early in Kangxi's rule, he recognized the importance of building strong relations with the various Mongol tribes in the expansive steppes to the north and west of the capital. To foster close ties with Mongol chieftains, he regularly invited them on hunting excursions. Rehol initially served as a temporary hunting site, strategically located north of Beijing at Chengde, known for its picturesque beauty and featuring a prominent phallus-shaped rock called Qingchui, reminiscent of Mount Sumeru, the Buddhist axis mundi.
As the Mongols were avid followers of Tibetan-style Buddhism, Kangxi initiated the construction of Tibetan-style Buddhist temples arranged around the axis of Qingchui. Under the rule of his grandson, the Qianlong Emperor, the site underwent significant expansion, with its layout mirroring the Buddhist cosmology of a mandala. Qianlong even commissioned the construction of replicas of the Potala Palace in Lhasa (Putuo Zongcheng) and the ancient Samye Monastery in Tibet (Puning Temple).
The central focus of worship in many of these temples was large gilt-lacquered sculptures, such as the 22-meter-high figure of Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara at the Puning Temple. Similar to the present work are three massive Buddha figures in the Zongyin Hall of the Pule Si, constructed in 1766. These sculptures featured deeply colored gilding, mimicking patinated gilt-bronze, atop thick red or black lacquer.
A distinctive feature of the Zongyin Hall Buddhas is the ornate flaming aureole behind each figure, with separately carved figures of Garuda at the top, resembling an example sold at Christie’s New York in 2011. The present work shares a striking affinity with these sculptures, exhibiting stylistic qualities reminiscent of the Kangxi period.
While the present work seems to predate 1766, possibly from the Kangxi period, its composition and style may have influenced the larger Pule Si examples. It is plausible that the three Buddhas at the Zongyin Hall represent the Three Buddhas of the Ages: Shakyamuni at the center, Dipankara (Buddha of the Past) at his right, and Maitreya (Future Buddha) on his left. Qianlong's mid-18th-century fascination with the Three Buddhas of the Ages is evident in his orders for kesi tapestries depicting the theme, as discussed by P. Berger in "Empire of Emptiness: Buddhist Art and Political Authority in Qing China." The present work's similarity to the three Buddhas at the Pule Si suggests a potential representation of Shakyamuni Buddha, possibly accompanied by corresponding figures of Dipankara and Maitreya Buddhas. Another similar, but slightly larger (76.8 cm. high) example of a gilt-lacquered wood figure of Buddha enthroned sold at Christie's New York, 22-23 March 2018, lot 1041.
As the Mongols were avid followers of Tibetan-style Buddhism, Kangxi initiated the construction of Tibetan-style Buddhist temples arranged around the axis of Qingchui. Under the rule of his grandson, the Qianlong Emperor, the site underwent significant expansion, with its layout mirroring the Buddhist cosmology of a mandala. Qianlong even commissioned the construction of replicas of the Potala Palace in Lhasa (Putuo Zongcheng) and the ancient Samye Monastery in Tibet (Puning Temple).
The central focus of worship in many of these temples was large gilt-lacquered sculptures, such as the 22-meter-high figure of Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara at the Puning Temple. Similar to the present work are three massive Buddha figures in the Zongyin Hall of the Pule Si, constructed in 1766. These sculptures featured deeply colored gilding, mimicking patinated gilt-bronze, atop thick red or black lacquer.
A distinctive feature of the Zongyin Hall Buddhas is the ornate flaming aureole behind each figure, with separately carved figures of Garuda at the top, resembling an example sold at Christie’s New York in 2011. The present work shares a striking affinity with these sculptures, exhibiting stylistic qualities reminiscent of the Kangxi period.
While the present work seems to predate 1766, possibly from the Kangxi period, its composition and style may have influenced the larger Pule Si examples. It is plausible that the three Buddhas at the Zongyin Hall represent the Three Buddhas of the Ages: Shakyamuni at the center, Dipankara (Buddha of the Past) at his right, and Maitreya (Future Buddha) on his left. Qianlong's mid-18th-century fascination with the Three Buddhas of the Ages is evident in his orders for kesi tapestries depicting the theme, as discussed by P. Berger in "Empire of Emptiness: Buddhist Art and Political Authority in Qing China." The present work's similarity to the three Buddhas at the Pule Si suggests a potential representation of Shakyamuni Buddha, possibly accompanied by corresponding figures of Dipankara and Maitreya Buddhas. Another similar, but slightly larger (76.8 cm. high) example of a gilt-lacquered wood figure of Buddha enthroned sold at Christie's New York, 22-23 March 2018, lot 1041.