![]() The later Buddha Vairocana from Longmen Grotto also had the refined quality of hard limestone as opposed to the softer yet rougher sandstone Shakyamuni Buddha in Yungang (Wong, 2004), perhaps yet another distinction that hints at the attempt at conveying superiority. In addition, both being carved in stone could be an evidence that the sculptures were expected to last through the ages as their respective dynasties’ legacy. ![]() The presentation in relation to the medium is similar as well overwhelmingly large stone-cut sculptures were displays of grandeur that shows the extent of imperial support that was present at that time. The latter Longmen Grotto, being larger in scale, might have been intended to ‘rival the great Buddha of Yungang’ (Sullivan, 2008, 122). Although Shakyamuni in Yungang Grotto was carved out of soft sandstone, as opposed to Buddha Vairocana which was carved in limestone, both were large sculptures made by the excavation of caves as a part of a series of cave-temples. Both sculptures therefore have traces of political motive resulting from state sponsorship.īoth were also similar in terms of medium and presentation. It has been argued that the somewhat androgynous nature of the Buddha allows this depiction, and that Wu Zetian was especially supportive of Buddhism due to its relatively less patriarchal nature as compared to Confucianism-something that would have been politically useful in shifting the society’s possible negative prejudice towards a female empress (Rothschild, 2015). This was done to honor the empress who sponsored the sculpture (McNair, 1994). ![]() In the case of Buddha Vairocana in Longmen Grotto, this political agenda could be seen in the resemblance between Buddha’s facial form and the then-ruling Empress Wu Zetian. This correlation might be a sign of the imperial cult that was developing in the period. This is reflected in the simply colossal Shakyamuni Buddha sculpture, dwarfing viewers and even other figures carved besides it. There is an uncanny resemblance in the way Buddhism element of an all-powerful deity is mirrored in the absolute power of emperors in the Northern Wei dynasty. Yungang Grotto’s Shakyamuni Buddha was built under the Northern Wei dynasty, foreign rulers which adopted Buddhism as a nationwide religion to bring together the nation (Wong, 2004). Thus, the intended purpose might have not only been for religious worship, but political motive as well. Both were built under state patronage, which may have contributed to the fact that a large number of manpower were involved as the state is a political institution of great power. They are monumental and much larger than life –17.14 meters for Vairocana and, 14 meters tall for Shakyamuni Buddha in Cave 20. The imperial patronage is evident in both sculpture’s massive scale. This will be done through analysis of the projects’ scale, medium and presentation, and style. The first one is the Northern Wei Dynasty sculpture in Yungang Grotto, specifically Shakyamuni Buddha in Cave 20, and the other is a Tang Dynasty sculpture in Longmen Grotto, specifically Buddha Vairocana. In this essay, I will observe the increasingly strong relationship between Chinese Buddhist art and imperial patronage as well as the resulting shift of style, through a comparison of two Chinese Buddhist sculptures. ![]() ![]() As time went by, it changed mainly in terms of aesthetics despite similar intended political purpose. In this case, Buddhist art could be defined as “representational art that symbolizes various elements of Buddhist mythology or doctrine” (Foulk, 2001). This strong relationship between imperial patronage and Buddhism could be seen in Chinese Buddhist art. Buddhism in China initially flourished as a foreign religion, but is adopted as a nationwide religion over time due to strong influence of imperial patronage. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |