Dispersed Buddhist Sculptures
Preliminary study on dispersed Bodhisattva sculptures
Showing
1 - 7 of 7 Records
Guanyin of the Southern Sea
- Title Translation: 南海观音
- Period: Liao, Jin, 907-1125 C.E., 1115-1234 C.E.
- Project: Dispersed Buddhist Sculptures
- Work Description: Represented as "Kuan-Yin of the southern seas," the Chinese Buddhist deity of compassion and mercy is seated in a variation of the pose of royal ease (Maharajalila) on a base imitating a craggy rock with his/her right arm resting on his/her folded right knee. The left arm rests on the rock while the left leg hangs down over the rockery onto a lotus blossom. The position of the Guanyin conveys the impression that the Bodhisattva might at any moment awake from deep contemplation and step down. The Bodhisattva's worldly ornaments, such as the high tiara and rich necklaces, are carved, gilded and painted in sumptuous detail.
Standing Bodhisattva
- Title Translation: 菩萨立像
- Period: Jin, 1115-1234 C.E.
- Project: Dispersed Buddhist Sculptures
- Work Description: This figure is among the best in quality and preservation to have survived from the Jin Dynasty. The image is full-bodied yet imbued with a sense of stately movement effected by the flowing garments and twisting scarves that eddy around the figure. The deep carving and high relief drapery produce a dramatic effect of shadow and highlight, which, combined with the rich polychrome palette, result in a figure that is magnificent yet gentle, humanized and immediately appealing. A tightly folded manuscript found in a sealed cavity in the back records that this image was repaired and repainted in 1348. The names of the artisans and donors are listed, and the name of the temple given as Meditation (Hall) of the Great Cloud Monastery.
Head of a Luohan, 3D model
- Title Translation: 罗汉头 , 3D 模型
- Period: Northern Song, Liao, or Jin dynasty, 1001–1100
- Project: Dispersed Buddhist Sculptures
- Work Description: In traditional Buddhist belief, the luohan is a disciple who has attained enlightenment through intense personal effort. Beginning in the ninth century, the worship of luohan and their depiction in art evolved primarily in the context of the Chan (Zen), or “meditation,” sect of Buddhism. This head was created in the delicate technique of hollow dry lacquer. The artisan first soaked layers of coarse cloth in lacquer (a thick sap tapped from a sumac tree) and applied these to a clay core formed over an armature of wood or other material. After allowing the work to dry, he applied a thick layer of lacquer paste to create the basic shape of the sculpture and a thinner coat into which he carefully modeled the eyes, high cheekbones, and other facial features. After removing the core and supporting armature, he set colored beads behind the eyes to represent irises and pupils. Finally, he painted the surface and perhaps applied gilding. Although these surface finishes have disintegrated over the centuries, the sensitively executed facial features preserve the insightful expression of the luohan. Source: Art Institute of Chicago, CC0 (https://www.artic.edu/artworks/88724/head-of-a-luohan)
Bodhisattva, 3D model
- Title Translation: 菩萨 , 3D 模型
- Period: Tang dynasty, 725 CE–750 CE
- Project: Dispersed Buddhist Sculptures
Guanyin Bodhisattva
- Title Translation: 观音菩萨
- Period: Yuan, 1279-1368 C.E.
- Project: Dispersed Buddhist Sculptures