.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
The present gilt-bronze bodhisattva embodies the quintessence of Tang dynasty sculpture through its classic tribhanga pose. The figure holds a bottle flask in its left hand and a willow branch in its gently raised right hand. The exposed upper torso reveals subtle undulations of the chest and abdomen, reflecting the aesthetic preference for "flesh over bone." The diagonally draped sash flutters as if caught in the wind, while the waistband cascades like a flying ribbon onto the lotus pedestal, creating a dynamic interplay with the folds of the form-fitting U-shaped dhoti. The intricate carvings of the necklace and armbands, though now missing their gemstone inlays, still hint at their former opulence through the remaining settings.
The figure perfectly exemplifies the Zhou jia yang (Zhou Family style) pioneered by Zhou Fang, which combines the Gupta period technique of "wet drapery" that clings to the body with a three-dimensional curvature of the hips and waist, breaking away from the flatness of earlier styles. This fusion of Indian Buddhist iconography with the grace of Chinese court painting epitomises the Tang dynasty’s aesthetic of "plumpness as beauty," endowing the sacred figure with both solemnity and the delicate charm of a secular woman.
Despite the loss of its head and mandorla over the centuries, the figure evokes an endless reverie, akin to an Eastern Venus. The fragmented sash serves as a metaphor of the passage of time, inviting viewers to envision its majestic presence through the mottled gilding- whether as a serene, smiling figure reminiscent of Dunhuang's divine images or as a regal, crowned deity akin to the treasures of Famen Temple. This aesthetic of "completeness through incompleteness" resonates deeply with the Chinese artistic philosophy of conveying boundless meaning without explicit articulation.
The present bodhisattva bears resemblance to esoteric Buddhist figures from the An Guo Temple in Chang'an and standing bodhisattvas from the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang. First published in the Spring 1996 issue of Kaikodo (New York, No. 61), the present figure later appeared at Christie's New York spring auction in March 2022, demonstrating its lustrous provenance. Its artistic value lies not only in its exquisite craftsmanship but also in its encapsulation of the radiant cultural synthesis of the Tang dynasty, a zenith of Silk Road civilisation.
- Hua Yu Tang
The figure perfectly exemplifies the Zhou jia yang (Zhou Family style) pioneered by Zhou Fang, which combines the Gupta period technique of "wet drapery" that clings to the body with a three-dimensional curvature of the hips and waist, breaking away from the flatness of earlier styles. This fusion of Indian Buddhist iconography with the grace of Chinese court painting epitomises the Tang dynasty’s aesthetic of "plumpness as beauty," endowing the sacred figure with both solemnity and the delicate charm of a secular woman.
Despite the loss of its head and mandorla over the centuries, the figure evokes an endless reverie, akin to an Eastern Venus. The fragmented sash serves as a metaphor of the passage of time, inviting viewers to envision its majestic presence through the mottled gilding- whether as a serene, smiling figure reminiscent of Dunhuang's divine images or as a regal, crowned deity akin to the treasures of Famen Temple. This aesthetic of "completeness through incompleteness" resonates deeply with the Chinese artistic philosophy of conveying boundless meaning without explicit articulation.
The present bodhisattva bears resemblance to esoteric Buddhist figures from the An Guo Temple in Chang'an and standing bodhisattvas from the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang. First published in the Spring 1996 issue of Kaikodo (New York, No. 61), the present figure later appeared at Christie's New York spring auction in March 2022, demonstrating its lustrous provenance. Its artistic value lies not only in its exquisite craftsmanship but also in its encapsulation of the radiant cultural synthesis of the Tang dynasty, a zenith of Silk Road civilisation.
- Hua Yu Tang