Seated in peaceful contemplation, this superb figure embodies a profound spirituality achieved through the remarkable plasticity of drapery and form, the unencumbered serenity of the face, and the near-perfect fusion of body and glaze. The figure represents a Buddha seated on a double-lotus base and absorbed in meditation. The Buddha assumes the classic dhyanasana posture of meditation in which the legs are locked in full-lotus position with the soles of the feet turned upwards and thus visible. His hands rest in his lap in the dhyana-mudra, or gesture of meditation, left hand atop the right, palms facing upward. (A ritual hand gesture, a mudra symbolizes a particular action, attitude, or power of a deity.)
The ushnisha, or cranial protuberance atop the head symbolizing the expanded wisdom gained at enlightenment, identifies this magnificent sculpture as an image of a Buddha, as do the benevolent countenance, small snail-shell curls of hair, elongated earlobes, and monk’s robes. Not a standard feature of the Buddha, the jewel at the base of the ushnisha gained favor in representations of the Buddha beginning in the Song (AD 960–1279) and Liao (AD 907–1125) dynasties.
Although most standard representations of the dhyanamudra depict the right hand resting atop the left hand, in this sculpture the left hand appears atop the right. In fact, most mudras have variant forms that either do not change the meaning of the gesture or alter it only slightly. The variant of the dhyanamudra with the left hand resting on the right hand had appeared already in Gandharan sculptures as early as the 2nd or 3rd century, so this figure’s alternate interpretation of the mudra has an ancient legacy. In another variant of the dhyanamudra, as evinced by the famous gilt bronze Meditating Buddha—dating to AD 338 and from the Later Zhao dynasty—in the collection of San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum (museum reference B60 B1034), the hands may be placed with palms facing the abdomen, backs facing outward. In fact, sculptures of the Buddha made at Dehua, where this extraordinary sculpture was created, show both interpretations of the dhyanamudra, some with right hand atop the left, and others vice versa.
Although any Buddha may be shown in meditation with hands in the dhyanamudra, that mudra is most often associated with Buddhas Shakyamuni (the Historical Buddha) and Amitabha (Buddha of Infinite Light). In standard images of the meditating Shakyamuni, one hand simply rests atop the other, usually the right hand atop the left. By contrast, in standard images of Amitabha in meditation, the fingers of each hand are positioned so that one finger forms a circle with the thumb, the particular fingers touching the thumb indicating the level of paradise on which Amitabha is meditating. Images of the meditating Medicine Buddha (Chinese, Yaoshifo) typically show his lapis lazuli medicine jar resting atop his overlapping hands.
This image most likely represents either Shakyamuni or Amitabha Buddha. Probably not made for a temple, the sculpture might have been designed to appeal to the literati, in which case it might represent the Buddha Shakyamuni, as Chinese literati of the Ming and Qing periods, even if not practicing Chan Buddhists, took an interest in the philosophy of Chan Buddhism, which reveres Shakyamuni. On the other hand, if made for purchase by a member of the general public, the sculpture might represent Amitabha (his hands in the simplest statement of the dhyanamudra), who enjoyed widespread popularity among the general population. It is also possible that the artist deliberately left the specific iconography ambiguous so that whoever bought it could interpret it as he or she wished.
An album leaf by Lu Hui (Chinese; 1851–1920) in the Roy and Marilyn Papp Collection, Phoenix, depicts the renowned Tang-dynasty calligrapher Yan Zhenqing (AD 709–785) seated at a stone desk in a garden, as if a Ming or Qing literatus (see Claudia Brown, Heritage of the Brush: The Roy and Marilyn Papp Collection of Chinese Painting, Phoenix: Phoenix Art Museum, 1989, P.122, cat. no.44). Along with brush, inkstone, and paper, a Dehua sculpture appears on the desk. Because it is shown in three-quarter view from the rear, the sculpture cannot be identified in terms of subject matter, but its presence in this painting evinces literati interest in Dehua sculptures of Buddhist figures, at least in certain periods.
Press molded and finished by hand, this sculpture was made at kilns in Dehua county, in eastern, coastal Fujian province. Rich in kaolin clay, Dehua was famous for its exceptionally high quality porcelains; initial porcelain production began in the Song and Yuan dynasties and then achieved perfection in the Ming and Qing. According to Nigel Wood, Dehua porcelains achieved a fusion of glaze and body traditionally characterized as “ivory white” or “milk white” (see Nigel Wood, Chinese Glazes: Their Chemistry, Origins and Re-creation, London: A & C Black, and Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2007). The kaolin used at Dehua contained very little iron oxide, permitting ceramics made from it to be fired in an oxidizing atmosphere, resulting in a warm white or pale ivory color, which distinguishes them from the porcelains produced at Jingdezhen, in Jiangxi province, which, because of a slightly higher iron-oxide content and because of reduction firing, show a cold, bluish-white color often described as resembling that of skim milk.
The square seal mark reading He Chao Zong Yin on its back indicates that this sculpture was made by He Chaozong (active 16th–early 17th century), the most famous of the potters active at the Dehua kilns (For information on He Chaozong, see: Rose Kerr, “Introductory Remarks on Dehua Ware”, in John Ayers, Rose Kerr, et al., Blanc de Chine: Porcelain from Dehua, A Catalogue of the Hickley Collection, Singapore, Richmond, UK, 2002, pp. 10-11). His dates unrecorded, He Chaozong previously was thought to have worked in the first half of the 17th century, but recent research has revealed that he was active already in the 16th century; in fact, some Chinese scholars believe him to have been active as early as 1522 (see R. Kerr, op. cit., p. 10).
The extraordinarily sensitive modeling, as seen in the face, fingers, and toes, attests to this work’s early date among sculptures from Dehua, as does its exceptionally deft handling of the drapery, with its naturalistic folds and thin, razor-sharp edges. In fact, with its beautifully rendered folds, the drapery is the perfect foil for, the perfect counterpoint to, the smooth surfaces of the face and chest, the drapery injecting sufficient textural variation to add visual interest yet not so much as to distract from the sculpture’s contemplative feel, let alone to overwhelm it. The attention given to the well-conceived and flawlessly molded lotus base also points to the sculpture’s relatively early date.
Robert D. Mowry 毛瑞
Alan J. Dworsky Curator of Chinese Art Emeritus, Harvard Art Museums, and Senior Consultant, Christie’s
.jpg?maxwidth=3840)