NOTES TAKEN AT THE NELSON-ATKINS MUSEUM OF ART (ASIAN COLLECTION)
Summer 2003
Jin Ping Mei—earliest Chinese novel, anonymous (risqué, too)
“May I, Song, enjoy a myriad years and the bushy eyebrows of old age.” --From an inscription inside a ritual vessel. Bronze c. 1100-771 BCE. I pictured the bushy eyebrows vividly.
A [17th century Chinese] Scholar’s Study
The architectural setting for a traditional Chinese scholar’s study gave expression to a life of refinement & leisure in which practice & enjoyment of all the arts were prized. A special environment was created for these activities [reminds me of my house]. Idyllic gardens, ranging from a few bamboos to an elaborately designed naturalistic space, surrounded the ideal rural or urban retreat. The imaginary occupant of this study [the one set up in the museum] could gaze out through 17th century wooden latticework & draw inspiration from every transformation of nature.
…. Here, an aficionado of life’s elegant pleasures could spend a quiet moment painting, practicing calligraphy or seal carving, playing the qin (zither), or perhaps appreciating & studying his collection of books and curios. In leisure hours he could share the appreciation of a fine art object with one or more friends, collaborate on a painting, host a literary gathering, or simply enjoy tea with a companion on the kang (couch). These activities not only poignantly contrasted with but also represented a retreat from the often troubled world of the late Ming period.
*
From “The Tibetan Room”—which is to say the breathtaking room full of Buddhist art, including Tibetan prayer wheels, but the first time I visited I didn’t know it was called the Tibetan Room.
BUDDHISM AND ITS PANTHEON
Buddhism was founded in India by Shakyamuni Buddha in the 6th to 5th centuries B.C.E. The earliest form of Buddhism, often called the Hinayana, emphasized the Buddha’s role as a teacher and the teachings themselves: renunciation of a worldly life, meditation, and practice of moral virtue. The goal of Buddhism was to escape from the ties that bind the individual to the universe. Most of the art from this period represented narratives from the histories or previous lives of the Buddha.
During the early centuries C.E., Buddhism was transformed into a deity who ruled over the universe. This movement, called the Mahayana, believes that there are many Buddhas (enlightened beings). Anyone can become a Buddha if he [she] attains sufficient knowledge. Beings are assisted on the path toward salvation by Buddhas-to-be called Bodhisattvas. Both Buddha’s and Bodhisattvas began to be represented in art.
In the third stage, Tantric Buddhism or the Bajrayana, the most prevalent type of Buddhism in Nepal & Tibet, the Pantheon increased manifold and became elaborately systemized. There is a supreme Buddha, called the Adi-Buddha, 5 transcendent directional Buddhas, and innumerable specialized Buddhas. There are Bodhisattvas & Goddesses, dharmapala (guardians of the teaching) & yi-dam (protective deities for individuals). Also encountered are images of honored historical figures, such as lamas (esteemed Tibetan monks), arhats (renowned disciples of the historical Buddha), and mahasiddhas (yogins imbued with magical powers).
Some Buddhist Goddesses:
(who can possibly be found on the Encyclopedia Mythica online database)
Vasudhara
Durga (Chinese & India/Hindu)
Green Tara (or Tara—various different colors—I’ve come across White also)
Mahabhairavi
Yama (god) & Yami (goddess)
Ushnishasitatapatra
Yaksh (nature spirit)
Parvati (Indian)
Ganga (Indian)
Green Tara
This particular sculpture: Probably 18th century/ Eastern Tibet/ Bell metal
Tara’s name can mean either “star” or “saviouress.” She is a compassionate Mother Goddess and also the partner of the Transcendent Buddhas or Bodhisattvas. She exists in many forms and colors. Here she sits in a relaxed posture on a lotus seat, her two hands performing the gestures of charity and teaching. An open and a closed lotus appear at her shoulders.
Vasudhara
This sculpture—14th century/Nepal
Vasudhara’s role as the Goddess of abundance is suggested by her attributes: a stock of grain in her middle left hand, an overflowing vase @ her lower left, a jeweled pendant, . . . in her middle right hand, and the gesture of offering gifts executed by the lower right hand. This Goddess was popular in Nepal.
Durga—Originated in Indian Hinduism as a Goddess created by the gods to fight certain demons. She became popular in Nepal as well. Here she rides upon her usual mount, a lion, brandishing a sword and shield. Her lower hands perform the charity and reassurance gestures.
A Mahasiddha
16th-17th century/ Central Tibet/ Silver with turquoise inlay
The Tibetans honor a group of 84 Mahasiddhas, who were originally historic persons. Each attained such a high level of knowledge of the Tantric texts & skill in practicing esoteric arts that he was able to fly and perform miracles. This figure sits on a lotus seat, performing gestures of discourse with both hands. He wears a crown of skulls and a lion’s skin about his loins. His fierce expression beneath furrowed brows suggests the intense concentration of his mental and spiritual powers.
Thangkas—the sacred pictures painted on fabric—
Arhat—highly accomplished monks who had originally lived in India.
Tsongkapa (1357-1419) was the founder of the Gelukpa or Yellow-cap Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, the sect which has been most powerful in recent centuries. He is believed to be an emanation of the Bodhisattva Manjushri, and therefore holds Manjushri’s attributes, a sword and a book, which appear on lotuses @ shoulder level. At Tsongkapa’s feet sit his 2 favorite pupils, the founders of some of the great monasteries of Tibet.
4 Mandalas
18th century/ Central Tibet/ Colors on cotton, brocaded silk mount
4 Mandalas float in a landscape of mountains and sky. At the center of each mandala is a female deity, who is surrounded by a number of attendants. A mandala is a guide to meditation. A meditator moves mentally through the various parts of the diagram, the outer circle, and gateways, the walls and inner circle, each of which represents some aspect of Buddhist doctrine. As he/she reaches the Goddess in the inner circle, his/her own consciousness has dissolved and he/she melds with the deity. When meditation is over, he/she moves back outward again, returning to the phenomenal world. Other deities are located in the clouds in the background.
Tsongkhapa
19th century/Tibet/ gilt bronze
Tsongkhapa (1357-1419) was a teacher and reformer who founded the Yellow Cap sect of Tibetan Buddhism, the most powerful sect in recent Tibet. He performs preaching gesture [one hand is touching the palm of the other].
Vajrapani
Late 18th-early 19th century/ Tibet/ gilt bronze with paint
Originated as a form of the Hindu king of the gods, Indra. In the earliest Buddhist art of India, he served as an attendant to the Buddha. In Tibet he became a major Bodhisattva. Here he is depicted as a fierce Dharmapala, a protector of Buddhist teaching. His fiery hair is decorated with skulls, and severed heads are suspended from his garland. He tramples on serpents and brandishes a vajra, the Buddhist symbol of the Absolute [it’s the little gold stick with curved pieces at the end forming almost a ball—Tibetan lamas use it while creating a sand mandala].
Ushnishasitapatra
19th century/ Central Tibet/ Colors on cotton
This benign goddess stands upon a lotus pedestal, crushing with her 1000 feet a multitude of humans and animals who represent all the bad states of existence. She has a thousand faces and a thousand arms, the latter arranged in an oval pattern behind her, each containing an eye. The many heads, eyes, and arms demonstrate her tremendous protective capacity. Her principle attributes are a white umbrella and a wheel. Buddhas and Goddesses appear in the clouds above her. Below 3 identical Mahakalas (protective deities) dance on prostrate figures.
Padmasambhava
18th century/ China, Tibet-Chinese thangka/ Colors on cotton
A mystic whom an 8th century king of Tibet invited to come from India to drive away the indigenous spirits and advance the cause of Buddhism. In this painting Padmasambhava has been depicted in his fierce role as an exorcist. He holds a vajra in his right hand before his chest, and in his left a skull filled with blood. He wears an individualistic red hat with turned-up lappets topped with a ½ vajra. His own special staff, toped with a skull & 2 human heads, leans against his left shoulder. The five fierce deities across the bottom of the painting represent the Tibetan guardian of the North, Pe Har, with 4 members of his retinue. Pe Har became the guardian deity for the Samye monastery in Central Tibet, which Padmasambhava founded.
[Main colors of Tibetan thangkas: red, green, orange, white, blue, off-white, black. Very bright colors! Maybe I’m subconsciously using Tibetan colors while painting the house.]
*
Buddhist Cave Chapels—something to look up (archeology)
Lotus Sutra—most popular Buddhist scripture
Chinese lion—Guardian of Buddhist faith, appropriate for flanking doorways. Not only used in temples and monasteries but also in family homes, in the front room. Eventually symbolized emperor, but still is symbol for protection and honor.
Whenever I saw what I thought was a Foo Dog, it turned out to be a lion or a chimera.
Tree of Life (South India)
The tree’s overall shape…is that of the sacred banyan tree, a symbol of male, spiritual, ethereal elements of life. The stem, with its rhizomes, is that of a lotus, representing the female, fertile, earthly, watery, aspects. The two combined betoken the whole of creation. The serpents, another symbol of fertility, and the central blossom, here used as a solar or spiritual symbol, also suggests the quality of high, combined, represents the unity of creation. Two pairs of confronting animals are frequently encountered flanking trees of life. The geese perched at the ends of the branches and eating of the fruit of the tree represent individual souls who partake of this life but have the freedom to escape from the cycles of life, which is the major goal of Indian religious thought.
MAIN FEATURES OF A BUDDHA IMAGE
(Also found on Goddess images, Bodhisattvas, etc)
Mandorla: almond-shaped halo surrounding the Buddha, indicating the divine light radiating from his body
Usnisa: Protuberance at the crown of the head, shaped like a royal turban [or bun] and symbolizing Buddha’s expanded wisdom.
Urna: jewel in the center of the forehead considered a third eye, and sometimes depicted as a small tuft of hair. Denotes the Buddha’s all-seeing nature.
Three rings of neck fat: remembrance of the moral Buddha’s status as a wealthy prince prior to his enlightenment.
Monastic robe: Buddhas wear simple, unadorned robes like monks.
Mudra: symbolic hand gestures identifying the particular Buddha represented and conveying a sacred message
Elongated ears: denotes the mortal Buddha’s status as a nobleman from ancient India whose ears were stretched by wearing heavy jewelry
Lotus petal throne: Buddhist deities sit upon thrones like those of secular rulers. The lotus plant symbolizes purity as its flower rises nobly from the mud of the earth.
Mudras: symbolic hand gestures of Buddhist deities.
Some common sacred hand gestures are mudras, found on Buddhist statues & paintings throughout the museum’s Asian galleries are illustrated below. Names are provided in Sanskrit. [I drew them in a sketchpad, but of course that’s not happening on this word document.]
Bhumisparsa--touching the earth gesture. The Buddha calls upon the earth gods to witness his triumph over evil demons.
[Left hand hanging down]
Dyana—gesture of concentration (2 variations). [Elbows bent, palms up in front of lap, one hand resting inside the other. Variation is with thumb and forefinger of each hand forming circle.]
Adhaya (right hand)—gesture of dispelling fear. [Elbow bent, hand held palm up with pinky sticking out to the side a bit.]
Vara (left hand)—gesture of benevolence. [Hand held with palm hanging upside down.]
Luohan (Sanskrit: Arhat), disciples of the Buddha Sakyamuni, are fully emancipated beings who concentrate on personal enlightenment and withdraw from the world. This figure is one of few known to have survived from a group found in the caves in the high cliffs of Yixian, Hebei Province. The Luohan is seated on a base of weathered rocks with his hands in Dyana Mudra, signifying a profound concentration & spiritual presence. The slightly over life-size sculpture displays a portrait-like quality . . . it is a masterpiece of Buddhist sculpture which follows late Tang style.
Tang Dynasty= 600’s-1100ish.
Seated Guanyin Bodhisattva
[This is the exact same Guanyin figure as the one illustrated in the book Heart of the Goddess! My mouth dropped open when I turned and there she was, towering over me a few inches away. Seated, she’s about 9 feet tall.]
Wood with Polychrome/Liao Dynasty, AD 907-1125/Shanxi or Hebei Province
Bodhisattvas are deities who, unlike Buddhas, forgo Nirvana until that time when all sentient being shall have attained enlightenment. Of these, Guanyin became the most popular as the deity of mercy & compassion, answering prayers & protecting the faithful from catastrophe. The fabled home of Guanyin is an island in the Southern Sea called Potalaka [sounds like the Potala is named after it]. The deity sits in the position of “Royal Ease” on a mossy rockery representing Potalaka. Originally the rockery probably continued up & around the image creating a grotto by the sea.
This image epitomizes the best qualities of a tradition in which a new kind of humanism imbues the image with a gentle and benign calm. The high deities are more approachable & immediate in emotional appeal than were the more austere, but more religiously profound images of an earlier time. The artistic manner is ornate. The paint & gessoed designs date from the 16th century.
The rock that her foot rests on has lotus design in red, and the rocks are generally green. Green, red, and gold costume. Gold dragon designs on Guanyin’s skirt, at the knees.
Note by the wooden Bodhisattvas—
Buddhist sculpture, largely in wood & clay, of the 12th & 13th centuries marks the last important phase of religious sculpture in China. The images are gentle, humanized and immediately appealing. The figures are full-bodied but not clumsily heavy, and their garments flow easily & naturally, eddying about the figure with numerous twisting scarves suggestive of stately movement. The carving is deep, producing a rich effect of black shadow and high-light playing movement. The style is typical of the Fen River Valley are in Sun Shaxi Province.
Chinese Tomb Figures
It is an ancient and wide spread belief that a carved or modeled image of a person, animal, or object captures the spirit of what is represented and can substitute for the real thing in the spirit world of the dead . . . All such pieces [tomb figures] were intended to be buried with the dead and have been recovered from tombs.
Saucy camels, fat Mongolian ponies, crazy gnome figure, people like musicians and women bearing offerings (cups). Doll house-like sculpture of a 5-story home (it’s about the same scale as a standard doll house). If I’m not cremated or taken to Tibet to be cut up and fed to vultures, I’d like to be buried with clay sculptures of saucy camels and fat Mongolian ponies.
Summer 2003
Jin Ping Mei—earliest Chinese novel, anonymous (risqué, too)
“May I, Song, enjoy a myriad years and the bushy eyebrows of old age.” --From an inscription inside a ritual vessel. Bronze c. 1100-771 BCE. I pictured the bushy eyebrows vividly.
A [17th century Chinese] Scholar’s Study
The architectural setting for a traditional Chinese scholar’s study gave expression to a life of refinement & leisure in which practice & enjoyment of all the arts were prized. A special environment was created for these activities [reminds me of my house]. Idyllic gardens, ranging from a few bamboos to an elaborately designed naturalistic space, surrounded the ideal rural or urban retreat. The imaginary occupant of this study [the one set up in the museum] could gaze out through 17th century wooden latticework & draw inspiration from every transformation of nature.
…. Here, an aficionado of life’s elegant pleasures could spend a quiet moment painting, practicing calligraphy or seal carving, playing the qin (zither), or perhaps appreciating & studying his collection of books and curios. In leisure hours he could share the appreciation of a fine art object with one or more friends, collaborate on a painting, host a literary gathering, or simply enjoy tea with a companion on the kang (couch). These activities not only poignantly contrasted with but also represented a retreat from the often troubled world of the late Ming period.
*
From “The Tibetan Room”—which is to say the breathtaking room full of Buddhist art, including Tibetan prayer wheels, but the first time I visited I didn’t know it was called the Tibetan Room.
BUDDHISM AND ITS PANTHEON
Buddhism was founded in India by Shakyamuni Buddha in the 6th to 5th centuries B.C.E. The earliest form of Buddhism, often called the Hinayana, emphasized the Buddha’s role as a teacher and the teachings themselves: renunciation of a worldly life, meditation, and practice of moral virtue. The goal of Buddhism was to escape from the ties that bind the individual to the universe. Most of the art from this period represented narratives from the histories or previous lives of the Buddha.
During the early centuries C.E., Buddhism was transformed into a deity who ruled over the universe. This movement, called the Mahayana, believes that there are many Buddhas (enlightened beings). Anyone can become a Buddha if he [she] attains sufficient knowledge. Beings are assisted on the path toward salvation by Buddhas-to-be called Bodhisattvas. Both Buddha’s and Bodhisattvas began to be represented in art.
In the third stage, Tantric Buddhism or the Bajrayana, the most prevalent type of Buddhism in Nepal & Tibet, the Pantheon increased manifold and became elaborately systemized. There is a supreme Buddha, called the Adi-Buddha, 5 transcendent directional Buddhas, and innumerable specialized Buddhas. There are Bodhisattvas & Goddesses, dharmapala (guardians of the teaching) & yi-dam (protective deities for individuals). Also encountered are images of honored historical figures, such as lamas (esteemed Tibetan monks), arhats (renowned disciples of the historical Buddha), and mahasiddhas (yogins imbued with magical powers).
Some Buddhist Goddesses:
(who can possibly be found on the Encyclopedia Mythica online database)
Vasudhara
Durga (Chinese & India/Hindu)
Green Tara (or Tara—various different colors—I’ve come across White also)
Mahabhairavi
Yama (god) & Yami (goddess)
Ushnishasitatapatra
Yaksh (nature spirit)
Parvati (Indian)
Ganga (Indian)
Green Tara
This particular sculpture: Probably 18th century/ Eastern Tibet/ Bell metal
Tara’s name can mean either “star” or “saviouress.” She is a compassionate Mother Goddess and also the partner of the Transcendent Buddhas or Bodhisattvas. She exists in many forms and colors. Here she sits in a relaxed posture on a lotus seat, her two hands performing the gestures of charity and teaching. An open and a closed lotus appear at her shoulders.
Vasudhara
This sculpture—14th century/Nepal
Vasudhara’s role as the Goddess of abundance is suggested by her attributes: a stock of grain in her middle left hand, an overflowing vase @ her lower left, a jeweled pendant, . . . in her middle right hand, and the gesture of offering gifts executed by the lower right hand. This Goddess was popular in Nepal.
Durga—Originated in Indian Hinduism as a Goddess created by the gods to fight certain demons. She became popular in Nepal as well. Here she rides upon her usual mount, a lion, brandishing a sword and shield. Her lower hands perform the charity and reassurance gestures.
A Mahasiddha
16th-17th century/ Central Tibet/ Silver with turquoise inlay
The Tibetans honor a group of 84 Mahasiddhas, who were originally historic persons. Each attained such a high level of knowledge of the Tantric texts & skill in practicing esoteric arts that he was able to fly and perform miracles. This figure sits on a lotus seat, performing gestures of discourse with both hands. He wears a crown of skulls and a lion’s skin about his loins. His fierce expression beneath furrowed brows suggests the intense concentration of his mental and spiritual powers.
Thangkas—the sacred pictures painted on fabric—
Arhat—highly accomplished monks who had originally lived in India.
Tsongkapa (1357-1419) was the founder of the Gelukpa or Yellow-cap Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, the sect which has been most powerful in recent centuries. He is believed to be an emanation of the Bodhisattva Manjushri, and therefore holds Manjushri’s attributes, a sword and a book, which appear on lotuses @ shoulder level. At Tsongkapa’s feet sit his 2 favorite pupils, the founders of some of the great monasteries of Tibet.
4 Mandalas
18th century/ Central Tibet/ Colors on cotton, brocaded silk mount
4 Mandalas float in a landscape of mountains and sky. At the center of each mandala is a female deity, who is surrounded by a number of attendants. A mandala is a guide to meditation. A meditator moves mentally through the various parts of the diagram, the outer circle, and gateways, the walls and inner circle, each of which represents some aspect of Buddhist doctrine. As he/she reaches the Goddess in the inner circle, his/her own consciousness has dissolved and he/she melds with the deity. When meditation is over, he/she moves back outward again, returning to the phenomenal world. Other deities are located in the clouds in the background.
Tsongkhapa
19th century/Tibet/ gilt bronze
Tsongkhapa (1357-1419) was a teacher and reformer who founded the Yellow Cap sect of Tibetan Buddhism, the most powerful sect in recent Tibet. He performs preaching gesture [one hand is touching the palm of the other].
Vajrapani
Late 18th-early 19th century/ Tibet/ gilt bronze with paint
Originated as a form of the Hindu king of the gods, Indra. In the earliest Buddhist art of India, he served as an attendant to the Buddha. In Tibet he became a major Bodhisattva. Here he is depicted as a fierce Dharmapala, a protector of Buddhist teaching. His fiery hair is decorated with skulls, and severed heads are suspended from his garland. He tramples on serpents and brandishes a vajra, the Buddhist symbol of the Absolute [it’s the little gold stick with curved pieces at the end forming almost a ball—Tibetan lamas use it while creating a sand mandala].
Ushnishasitapatra
19th century/ Central Tibet/ Colors on cotton
This benign goddess stands upon a lotus pedestal, crushing with her 1000 feet a multitude of humans and animals who represent all the bad states of existence. She has a thousand faces and a thousand arms, the latter arranged in an oval pattern behind her, each containing an eye. The many heads, eyes, and arms demonstrate her tremendous protective capacity. Her principle attributes are a white umbrella and a wheel. Buddhas and Goddesses appear in the clouds above her. Below 3 identical Mahakalas (protective deities) dance on prostrate figures.
Padmasambhava
18th century/ China, Tibet-Chinese thangka/ Colors on cotton
A mystic whom an 8th century king of Tibet invited to come from India to drive away the indigenous spirits and advance the cause of Buddhism. In this painting Padmasambhava has been depicted in his fierce role as an exorcist. He holds a vajra in his right hand before his chest, and in his left a skull filled with blood. He wears an individualistic red hat with turned-up lappets topped with a ½ vajra. His own special staff, toped with a skull & 2 human heads, leans against his left shoulder. The five fierce deities across the bottom of the painting represent the Tibetan guardian of the North, Pe Har, with 4 members of his retinue. Pe Har became the guardian deity for the Samye monastery in Central Tibet, which Padmasambhava founded.
[Main colors of Tibetan thangkas: red, green, orange, white, blue, off-white, black. Very bright colors! Maybe I’m subconsciously using Tibetan colors while painting the house.]
*
Buddhist Cave Chapels—something to look up (archeology)
Lotus Sutra—most popular Buddhist scripture
Chinese lion—Guardian of Buddhist faith, appropriate for flanking doorways. Not only used in temples and monasteries but also in family homes, in the front room. Eventually symbolized emperor, but still is symbol for protection and honor.
Whenever I saw what I thought was a Foo Dog, it turned out to be a lion or a chimera.
Tree of Life (South India)
The tree’s overall shape…is that of the sacred banyan tree, a symbol of male, spiritual, ethereal elements of life. The stem, with its rhizomes, is that of a lotus, representing the female, fertile, earthly, watery, aspects. The two combined betoken the whole of creation. The serpents, another symbol of fertility, and the central blossom, here used as a solar or spiritual symbol, also suggests the quality of high, combined, represents the unity of creation. Two pairs of confronting animals are frequently encountered flanking trees of life. The geese perched at the ends of the branches and eating of the fruit of the tree represent individual souls who partake of this life but have the freedom to escape from the cycles of life, which is the major goal of Indian religious thought.
MAIN FEATURES OF A BUDDHA IMAGE
(Also found on Goddess images, Bodhisattvas, etc)
Mandorla: almond-shaped halo surrounding the Buddha, indicating the divine light radiating from his body
Usnisa: Protuberance at the crown of the head, shaped like a royal turban [or bun] and symbolizing Buddha’s expanded wisdom.
Urna: jewel in the center of the forehead considered a third eye, and sometimes depicted as a small tuft of hair. Denotes the Buddha’s all-seeing nature.
Three rings of neck fat: remembrance of the moral Buddha’s status as a wealthy prince prior to his enlightenment.
Monastic robe: Buddhas wear simple, unadorned robes like monks.
Mudra: symbolic hand gestures identifying the particular Buddha represented and conveying a sacred message
Elongated ears: denotes the mortal Buddha’s status as a nobleman from ancient India whose ears were stretched by wearing heavy jewelry
Lotus petal throne: Buddhist deities sit upon thrones like those of secular rulers. The lotus plant symbolizes purity as its flower rises nobly from the mud of the earth.
Mudras: symbolic hand gestures of Buddhist deities.
Some common sacred hand gestures are mudras, found on Buddhist statues & paintings throughout the museum’s Asian galleries are illustrated below. Names are provided in Sanskrit. [I drew them in a sketchpad, but of course that’s not happening on this word document.]
Bhumisparsa--touching the earth gesture. The Buddha calls upon the earth gods to witness his triumph over evil demons.
[Left hand hanging down]
Dyana—gesture of concentration (2 variations). [Elbows bent, palms up in front of lap, one hand resting inside the other. Variation is with thumb and forefinger of each hand forming circle.]
Adhaya (right hand)—gesture of dispelling fear. [Elbow bent, hand held palm up with pinky sticking out to the side a bit.]
Vara (left hand)—gesture of benevolence. [Hand held with palm hanging upside down.]
Luohan (Sanskrit: Arhat), disciples of the Buddha Sakyamuni, are fully emancipated beings who concentrate on personal enlightenment and withdraw from the world. This figure is one of few known to have survived from a group found in the caves in the high cliffs of Yixian, Hebei Province. The Luohan is seated on a base of weathered rocks with his hands in Dyana Mudra, signifying a profound concentration & spiritual presence. The slightly over life-size sculpture displays a portrait-like quality . . . it is a masterpiece of Buddhist sculpture which follows late Tang style.
Tang Dynasty= 600’s-1100ish.
Seated Guanyin Bodhisattva
[This is the exact same Guanyin figure as the one illustrated in the book Heart of the Goddess! My mouth dropped open when I turned and there she was, towering over me a few inches away. Seated, she’s about 9 feet tall.]
Wood with Polychrome/Liao Dynasty, AD 907-1125/Shanxi or Hebei Province
Bodhisattvas are deities who, unlike Buddhas, forgo Nirvana until that time when all sentient being shall have attained enlightenment. Of these, Guanyin became the most popular as the deity of mercy & compassion, answering prayers & protecting the faithful from catastrophe. The fabled home of Guanyin is an island in the Southern Sea called Potalaka [sounds like the Potala is named after it]. The deity sits in the position of “Royal Ease” on a mossy rockery representing Potalaka. Originally the rockery probably continued up & around the image creating a grotto by the sea.
This image epitomizes the best qualities of a tradition in which a new kind of humanism imbues the image with a gentle and benign calm. The high deities are more approachable & immediate in emotional appeal than were the more austere, but more religiously profound images of an earlier time. The artistic manner is ornate. The paint & gessoed designs date from the 16th century.
The rock that her foot rests on has lotus design in red, and the rocks are generally green. Green, red, and gold costume. Gold dragon designs on Guanyin’s skirt, at the knees.
Note by the wooden Bodhisattvas—
Buddhist sculpture, largely in wood & clay, of the 12th & 13th centuries marks the last important phase of religious sculpture in China. The images are gentle, humanized and immediately appealing. The figures are full-bodied but not clumsily heavy, and their garments flow easily & naturally, eddying about the figure with numerous twisting scarves suggestive of stately movement. The carving is deep, producing a rich effect of black shadow and high-light playing movement. The style is typical of the Fen River Valley are in Sun Shaxi Province.
Chinese Tomb Figures
It is an ancient and wide spread belief that a carved or modeled image of a person, animal, or object captures the spirit of what is represented and can substitute for the real thing in the spirit world of the dead . . . All such pieces [tomb figures] were intended to be buried with the dead and have been recovered from tombs.
Saucy camels, fat Mongolian ponies, crazy gnome figure, people like musicians and women bearing offerings (cups). Doll house-like sculpture of a 5-story home (it’s about the same scale as a standard doll house). If I’m not cremated or taken to Tibet to be cut up and fed to vultures, I’d like to be buried with clay sculptures of saucy camels and fat Mongolian ponies.
