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拍品專文
The bodhi tree is a large-leaved palm tree native to India. It became known as the Tree of Wisdom after Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment beneath it 2,500 years ago, and is regarded as a sacred tree in Buddhism. The leaves of the bodhi tree are heart-shaped, with intricate vein patterns, symbolizing "great enlightenment." In ancient India, every temple planted a bodhi tree, and the fallen leaves were considered sacred by monks. Before the widespread use of papermaking, Indian monks used the leaves of the bodhi and palm trees to create "palm leaf manuscripts" to write scriptures. Later, the Buddhist texts and images written and painted on the leaves of both the bodhi and palm trees came to be collectively known as "palm leaf scriptures and paintings."
A bodhi leaf painting requires at least one month from material selection to completion. The process involves selecting leaves without insect holes, of moderate size, with mature veins. These leaves are then corroded, dried, and washed to form the leaf veins. Based on the natural shape, texture, stem veins, and folds of the leaves, the design is drafted and colored using traditional painting techniques. The entire process includes over 30 steps before completion.
Emperor Kangxi referred to himself as a Luohan incarnate, while Emperor Qianlong was even more obsessed with the theme. Not only did he personally enjoy painting Luohans, but he also compiled the Luohan paintings collected by the Forbidden City throughout various dynasties into the "Secret Palace Pearl Forest". He also commissioned court painters such as Ding Guangen and Yao Wenhan to create numerous Luohan paintings.
Similar examples are also in the imperial collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei (inventory number 00040500001). Compare to an album of eighteen leaves, with a very comparable Luohan subject, dated 17th-18th century, in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (object number 12.134.13). Another album depicting eighteen Luohans, without color but only with black contours, is housed in the collection of the Royal Danish Library.
A bodhi leaf painting requires at least one month from material selection to completion. The process involves selecting leaves without insect holes, of moderate size, with mature veins. These leaves are then corroded, dried, and washed to form the leaf veins. Based on the natural shape, texture, stem veins, and folds of the leaves, the design is drafted and colored using traditional painting techniques. The entire process includes over 30 steps before completion.
Emperor Kangxi referred to himself as a Luohan incarnate, while Emperor Qianlong was even more obsessed with the theme. Not only did he personally enjoy painting Luohans, but he also compiled the Luohan paintings collected by the Forbidden City throughout various dynasties into the "Secret Palace Pearl Forest". He also commissioned court painters such as Ding Guangen and Yao Wenhan to create numerous Luohan paintings.
Similar examples are also in the imperial collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei (inventory number 00040500001). Compare to an album of eighteen leaves, with a very comparable Luohan subject, dated 17th-18th century, in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (object number 12.134.13). Another album depicting eighteen Luohans, without color but only with black contours, is housed in the collection of the Royal Danish Library.