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Lot Essay
With its commanding presence, exquisite modeling, and fine condition, this majestic figure is a quintessential example of Jin-dynasty 金朝 (1115–1234) Buddhist sculpture. In the West for nearly a century, this wooden sculpture of a standing bodhisattva was exhibited in Paris at the Hôtel Drouot[i] in 1931 and again at the Galerie Jacques Barrère[ii] in 2003. Its aesthetic merits, technical finesse, fine condition, distinguished provenance, and long record of exhibition and publication mark it as a sculpture of exceptional importance.
Elegantly outfitted in the sumptuous trappings of an Indian prince of old, this exquisite sculpture represents a bodhisattva 菩薩, a benevolent being who has attained enlightenment 菩提 but who has selflessly postponed entry into nirvana 涅槃 in order to assist other sentient beings—有情 or 眾生—in gaining enlightenment. Bodhisattvas are presented in the guise of an early Indian prince as a reference to Siddhartha Gautama’s worldly status before he became the Historical Buddha Shakyamuni 釈迦牟尼佛, implying that just as Siddhartha 喬達摩悉達多 (traditionally, c. 563–c. 483 BC), who was born a crown prince, became a Buddha 佛, so will bodhisattvas eventually become Buddhas, once all sentient beings have attained enlightenment.
Meaning “enlightened being”, a bodhisattva is an altruistic being who is dedicated to assisting other sentient beings in achieving release from the samsara cycle 輪迴 of birth and rebirth through the attainment of enlightenment; bodhisattvas thus embody the Mahayana Buddhist 大乘佛教 ideal of delivering all living creatures from suffering 普度眾生. Thanks to the enormous stores they have amassed, bodhisattvas are able to assist others through the transfer of meritorious karma to those in need, a concept known in Sanskrit as parinamana and in Chinese as huixiang 回向 or 迴向.
As evinced by this handsome sculpture, bodhisattvas generally are depicted with a single head, two arms, and two legs, though they in fact may be shown with multiple heads and limbs, depending upon the individual bodhisattva represented and the particular manifestation as described in the sutras 佛經, or sacred texts. Richly attired, bodhisattvas, who may be presented either standing or seated, are represented with long hair characteristically arranged in a tall coiffure, or bun, atop the head and often with long strands of hair cascading over the shoulders; as witnessed by this sculpture, a crown often encircles the topknot of hair. Bodhisattvas wear ornamental scarves, dhotis of rich silk brocade, and a wealth of jewelry that typically includes necklaces, armlets, bracelets, and anklets. Apart from the elaborate crown atop the head, this figure wears a scarf, bracelets, and a necklace whose suspended jewel graces the chest. Like Buddhas, bodhisattvas have distended earlobes; some wear earrings, others do not. Though bodhisattvas generally are shown barefoot, as evinced by this sculpture, both early Indian and early Chinese images of bodhisattvas may be shown wearing sandals, often of plaited straw.
The small, circular cavity at the center of the forehead was reserved for the urna and likely was originally inset with a cabochon jewel. Often incorrectly termed a “third eye”, or even a caste mark, the urna 光毫, which is typically represented by a painted disk, an inset cabochon jewel, or a small circular protuberance, is the curl of white hair between the Buddha’s eyebrows from which issues a ray of light illuminating all worlds 眉間光.[iii]
This sculpture likely represents Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva most frequently portrayed in China. The bodhisattva of infinite compassion, Avalokiteshvara is known formally in Chinese as Guanshiyin Pusa 觀世音菩薩, or more simply as Guanyin Pusa 觀音菩薩. Regarded as a spiritual emanation of the Buddha Amitabha 阿彌陀佛, Guanyin is typically shown together with Amitabha or appears in a temple dedicated to him. Even so, the exact identification of this figure remains uncertain as it lacks Guanyin’s definitive iconographic emblem, a small representation of Amitabha that typically appears at the front of the bodhisattva’s crown or, in the absence of a crown, at the front of the topknot of hair. Although not a diagnostic symbol of Guanyin, the cintamani 如意寶珠, or sacred, wish-granting jewel, that rests on a lotus base and radiates light at the front of this figure’s crown is often associated with Guanyin and suggests that this sculpture represents Guanyin.
This sculpture dates to the Jin dynasty 金朝 (1115–1234) as indicated by the figure’s proportions with relatively large head linked by a short neck to a stocky, muscular body with broad shoulders and wide hips. Framed by pronounced dimples and set between fleshy cheeks and jowls, the small mouth with bow-shaped upper lip points to a twelfth- or early thirteenth-century date of creation as do the pupils inset in black glass which impart a naturalistic glint to the eyes, and the elaborate topknot of hair encircled by an even more elaborate crown.
In contrast to sculptures of bodhisattvas from the Tang and Song 宋朝 (960–1279), which tend to be relatively slender, often a bit attenuated, and sometimes slightly effeminate—compare the pair of Five Dynasties or Northern Song bodhisattvas that sold at Christie’s, Hong Kong, on 29 May 2019, Lot 2713—those from the Jin, such as the present example, project strength with their broad shoulders, corpulent torsos, and wide hips. The use of wood as the basic material also points to this sculpture’s Jin-dynasty date as do the adhering bright mineral pigments.
This sculpture’s head, body, draped legs, and circular base were carved from a single block of wood, after which the separately carved arms were attached to the central, columnar core. To lessen the chance of warping and splitting due to seasonal changes in temperature and humidity, the interior of the torso was hollowed out, the resulting hollow serving as a cavity in which dedicatory objects likely were deposited during the sculpture’s consecration ceremony in order to enliven the image and grant it religious efficacy. When present, such objects typically include small paper sutras and prayer scrolls, beads, textile fragments, small bronze seals, small sculptures, and assorted other consecratory items. Religious in nature, such dedicatory items seldom are dated and rarely include any information that would convey insight into a sculpture’s date, place, or other circumstances of manufacture.
Like virtually all early Buddhist sculptures of stone and wood, this sculpture was originally embellished with brightly colored mineral pigments and gold. The present sculpture still shows traces of gold in the crown and on the plaques affixed to the belt around the figure’s waist, the plaques perhaps intended to represent gold ornaments or ones of gilded jade. A considerable amount of bright red pigment adheres to the dhoti that hangs from the waist and covers the legs. Additional colors likely included blues and greens for the scarves and sashes, gold for the jewelry, white or pink for the flesh, and black, or possibly blue, for the hair.
The figure originally stood on a wooden lotus base that was separately carved from the figure itself. By contrast, the circular—more properly, elliptical—base on which the sculpture now stands is integral to the sculpture and was carved from the same block of wood. The present base, which represents the lotus blossom’s seedpod, would have been set into the lotus base.
This sculpture is closely related in subject matter, style, and general appearance to several other well-known bodhisattva sculptures now in museum collections, the most closely related being those in the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Royal Ontario Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Jin-dynasty sculpture representing a standing bodhisattva in the Cleveland Museum of Art (1963.581) is remarkably similar to the present sculpture.[iv] (See: The Cleveland Museum of Art, ed., Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978, Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978, p. 335). Like the present figure, the Cleveland sculpture also features a cintamani jewel set on a lotus base at the front of the crown and also has a shallow, circular cavity at the center of the forehead. The similarity of these two sculptures has led some to ask if they might have been created at the same workshop—indeed, if they might once have been part of a set and came from the same temple. The interior wall of the hollow torso of a related sculpture in the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto (922.4.6.B), bears a dedicatory inscription that places the figure in Pingyangfu 平陽府 (present-day Linfen, Shanxi province 山西省臨汾) in 1195, suggesting that the present sculpture might also date to the late twelfth century. Like the present figure, the Toronto sculpture also wears a belt with plaques, seemingly representing ornaments of gold or possibly gilt jade. Another related sculpture of a standing bodhisattva is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (1978.543).[v] (See: Denise Patry Leidy, Donna Strahan, et al., Wisdom Embodied: Chinese Buddhist and Daoist Sculpture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2010, p. 181, no. A50.)
Bodhisattva sculptures from the Jin dynasty project a regal air that gives them a commanding presence. Exceptionally well carved, this outstanding sculpture is beautifully preserved. With similarities to Jin-dynasty sculptures in major museums, with a distinguished old provenance, and with a long history of exhibition and publication this figure is a masterwork of Chinese Buddhist sculpture.
Robert D. Mowry 毛瑞
Alan J. Dworsky Curator of Chinese Art Emeritus,
Harvard Art Museums, and
Senior Consultant, Christie’s
哈佛大學藝術博物館亞洲部榮譽主任暨佳士得高級顧問
[i] See: Hôtel Drouot, Salle no. 6, ed., Objets d’Art d’Extrême-Orient, 7-9 May 1931 (Paris: Hôtel Drouot, Salle n° 6), 1931, p. 12, lot 230.
[ii] See: Galerie Jacques Barrère, ed., Sculpture d’Asia (Paris: Galerie Jacques Barrère), 2003, p. 28.
[iii] The urna is variously termed 光毫, 玉豪, 白毫, and 素豪 in Chinese; the ray of light issuing from the urna is generally termed 眉間白毫相. In fact, many Hindu deities indeed have a third eye at the center of the forehead, but Buddhist deities, and particularly the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, have a magical curl of hair between the eyebrows. The urna is one of the thirty-two special physical characteristics of the Buddha, known as the Thirty-Two Signs of a Great Man. This refers to the mahapurusa laksana, known in Chinese as the xianghao 相好, with xiang referring to the thirty-two major marks, and hao 好 to the eighty secondary signs on the physical body of the Buddha.
[iv] See: Cleveland Museum of Art, ed., Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978, (Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art), 1978, p. 335.
[v] See: Denise Patry Leidy, Donna Strahan, et al., Wisdom Embodied: Chinese Buddhist and Daoist Sculpture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, (New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art), 2010, p. 181, no. A50.
Elegantly outfitted in the sumptuous trappings of an Indian prince of old, this exquisite sculpture represents a bodhisattva 菩薩, a benevolent being who has attained enlightenment 菩提 but who has selflessly postponed entry into nirvana 涅槃 in order to assist other sentient beings—有情 or 眾生—in gaining enlightenment. Bodhisattvas are presented in the guise of an early Indian prince as a reference to Siddhartha Gautama’s worldly status before he became the Historical Buddha Shakyamuni 釈迦牟尼佛, implying that just as Siddhartha 喬達摩悉達多 (traditionally, c. 563–c. 483 BC), who was born a crown prince, became a Buddha 佛, so will bodhisattvas eventually become Buddhas, once all sentient beings have attained enlightenment.
Meaning “enlightened being”, a bodhisattva is an altruistic being who is dedicated to assisting other sentient beings in achieving release from the samsara cycle 輪迴 of birth and rebirth through the attainment of enlightenment; bodhisattvas thus embody the Mahayana Buddhist 大乘佛教 ideal of delivering all living creatures from suffering 普度眾生. Thanks to the enormous stores they have amassed, bodhisattvas are able to assist others through the transfer of meritorious karma to those in need, a concept known in Sanskrit as parinamana and in Chinese as huixiang 回向 or 迴向.
As evinced by this handsome sculpture, bodhisattvas generally are depicted with a single head, two arms, and two legs, though they in fact may be shown with multiple heads and limbs, depending upon the individual bodhisattva represented and the particular manifestation as described in the sutras 佛經, or sacred texts. Richly attired, bodhisattvas, who may be presented either standing or seated, are represented with long hair characteristically arranged in a tall coiffure, or bun, atop the head and often with long strands of hair cascading over the shoulders; as witnessed by this sculpture, a crown often encircles the topknot of hair. Bodhisattvas wear ornamental scarves, dhotis of rich silk brocade, and a wealth of jewelry that typically includes necklaces, armlets, bracelets, and anklets. Apart from the elaborate crown atop the head, this figure wears a scarf, bracelets, and a necklace whose suspended jewel graces the chest. Like Buddhas, bodhisattvas have distended earlobes; some wear earrings, others do not. Though bodhisattvas generally are shown barefoot, as evinced by this sculpture, both early Indian and early Chinese images of bodhisattvas may be shown wearing sandals, often of plaited straw.
The small, circular cavity at the center of the forehead was reserved for the urna and likely was originally inset with a cabochon jewel. Often incorrectly termed a “third eye”, or even a caste mark, the urna 光毫, which is typically represented by a painted disk, an inset cabochon jewel, or a small circular protuberance, is the curl of white hair between the Buddha’s eyebrows from which issues a ray of light illuminating all worlds 眉間光.[iii]
This sculpture likely represents Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva most frequently portrayed in China. The bodhisattva of infinite compassion, Avalokiteshvara is known formally in Chinese as Guanshiyin Pusa 觀世音菩薩, or more simply as Guanyin Pusa 觀音菩薩. Regarded as a spiritual emanation of the Buddha Amitabha 阿彌陀佛, Guanyin is typically shown together with Amitabha or appears in a temple dedicated to him. Even so, the exact identification of this figure remains uncertain as it lacks Guanyin’s definitive iconographic emblem, a small representation of Amitabha that typically appears at the front of the bodhisattva’s crown or, in the absence of a crown, at the front of the topknot of hair. Although not a diagnostic symbol of Guanyin, the cintamani 如意寶珠, or sacred, wish-granting jewel, that rests on a lotus base and radiates light at the front of this figure’s crown is often associated with Guanyin and suggests that this sculpture represents Guanyin.
This sculpture dates to the Jin dynasty 金朝 (1115–1234) as indicated by the figure’s proportions with relatively large head linked by a short neck to a stocky, muscular body with broad shoulders and wide hips. Framed by pronounced dimples and set between fleshy cheeks and jowls, the small mouth with bow-shaped upper lip points to a twelfth- or early thirteenth-century date of creation as do the pupils inset in black glass which impart a naturalistic glint to the eyes, and the elaborate topknot of hair encircled by an even more elaborate crown.
In contrast to sculptures of bodhisattvas from the Tang and Song 宋朝 (960–1279), which tend to be relatively slender, often a bit attenuated, and sometimes slightly effeminate—compare the pair of Five Dynasties or Northern Song bodhisattvas that sold at Christie’s, Hong Kong, on 29 May 2019, Lot 2713—those from the Jin, such as the present example, project strength with their broad shoulders, corpulent torsos, and wide hips. The use of wood as the basic material also points to this sculpture’s Jin-dynasty date as do the adhering bright mineral pigments.
This sculpture’s head, body, draped legs, and circular base were carved from a single block of wood, after which the separately carved arms were attached to the central, columnar core. To lessen the chance of warping and splitting due to seasonal changes in temperature and humidity, the interior of the torso was hollowed out, the resulting hollow serving as a cavity in which dedicatory objects likely were deposited during the sculpture’s consecration ceremony in order to enliven the image and grant it religious efficacy. When present, such objects typically include small paper sutras and prayer scrolls, beads, textile fragments, small bronze seals, small sculptures, and assorted other consecratory items. Religious in nature, such dedicatory items seldom are dated and rarely include any information that would convey insight into a sculpture’s date, place, or other circumstances of manufacture.
Like virtually all early Buddhist sculptures of stone and wood, this sculpture was originally embellished with brightly colored mineral pigments and gold. The present sculpture still shows traces of gold in the crown and on the plaques affixed to the belt around the figure’s waist, the plaques perhaps intended to represent gold ornaments or ones of gilded jade. A considerable amount of bright red pigment adheres to the dhoti that hangs from the waist and covers the legs. Additional colors likely included blues and greens for the scarves and sashes, gold for the jewelry, white or pink for the flesh, and black, or possibly blue, for the hair.
The figure originally stood on a wooden lotus base that was separately carved from the figure itself. By contrast, the circular—more properly, elliptical—base on which the sculpture now stands is integral to the sculpture and was carved from the same block of wood. The present base, which represents the lotus blossom’s seedpod, would have been set into the lotus base.
This sculpture is closely related in subject matter, style, and general appearance to several other well-known bodhisattva sculptures now in museum collections, the most closely related being those in the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Royal Ontario Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Jin-dynasty sculpture representing a standing bodhisattva in the Cleveland Museum of Art (1963.581) is remarkably similar to the present sculpture.[iv] (See: The Cleveland Museum of Art, ed., Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978, Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978, p. 335). Like the present figure, the Cleveland sculpture also features a cintamani jewel set on a lotus base at the front of the crown and also has a shallow, circular cavity at the center of the forehead. The similarity of these two sculptures has led some to ask if they might have been created at the same workshop—indeed, if they might once have been part of a set and came from the same temple. The interior wall of the hollow torso of a related sculpture in the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto (922.4.6.B), bears a dedicatory inscription that places the figure in Pingyangfu 平陽府 (present-day Linfen, Shanxi province 山西省臨汾) in 1195, suggesting that the present sculpture might also date to the late twelfth century. Like the present figure, the Toronto sculpture also wears a belt with plaques, seemingly representing ornaments of gold or possibly gilt jade. Another related sculpture of a standing bodhisattva is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (1978.543).[v] (See: Denise Patry Leidy, Donna Strahan, et al., Wisdom Embodied: Chinese Buddhist and Daoist Sculpture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2010, p. 181, no. A50.)
Bodhisattva sculptures from the Jin dynasty project a regal air that gives them a commanding presence. Exceptionally well carved, this outstanding sculpture is beautifully preserved. With similarities to Jin-dynasty sculptures in major museums, with a distinguished old provenance, and with a long history of exhibition and publication this figure is a masterwork of Chinese Buddhist sculpture.
Robert D. Mowry 毛瑞
Alan J. Dworsky Curator of Chinese Art Emeritus,
Harvard Art Museums, and
Senior Consultant, Christie’s
哈佛大學藝術博物館亞洲部榮譽主任暨佳士得高級顧問
[i] See: Hôtel Drouot, Salle no. 6, ed., Objets d’Art d’Extrême-Orient, 7-9 May 1931 (Paris: Hôtel Drouot, Salle n° 6), 1931, p. 12, lot 230.
[ii] See: Galerie Jacques Barrère, ed., Sculpture d’Asia (Paris: Galerie Jacques Barrère), 2003, p. 28.
[iii] The urna is variously termed 光毫, 玉豪, 白毫, and 素豪 in Chinese; the ray of light issuing from the urna is generally termed 眉間白毫相. In fact, many Hindu deities indeed have a third eye at the center of the forehead, but Buddhist deities, and particularly the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, have a magical curl of hair between the eyebrows. The urna is one of the thirty-two special physical characteristics of the Buddha, known as the Thirty-Two Signs of a Great Man. This refers to the mahapurusa laksana, known in Chinese as the xianghao 相好, with xiang referring to the thirty-two major marks, and hao 好 to the eighty secondary signs on the physical body of the Buddha.
[iv] See: Cleveland Museum of Art, ed., Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978, (Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art), 1978, p. 335.
[v] See: Denise Patry Leidy, Donna Strahan, et al., Wisdom Embodied: Chinese Buddhist and Daoist Sculpture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, (New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art), 2010, p. 181, no. A50.