Physical description
Seated Buddha carved in dark grey limestone with traces of red and green pigment. The Buddha has a serene face, closed mouth, and a flat back. His thumbs have broken off. He has a large halo decorated with flora and an inner ring of lotus petals. The folds of the Buddha's robes are inlaid into the stone. He is sitting on a rectangular slab, integral to the sculpture. The Buddha has one hand raised in a gesture of fearlessness (abhaya mudra) and one palm open in a gesture of gift giving (verada mudra).
Place of Origin
China (made)
Date
550-577 (made)
Artist/maker
Unknown (production)
Materials and Techniques
Limestone, with traces of gesso, paint and gilding
Dimensions
Height: 122 cm, Width: 74.8 cm, Depth: 37 cm
Object history note
This figure has traces of paint, gesso and gilt. Most sculpture in ancient China is coloured, and it is said that, although much of the techniques have not been handed down, 30 per cent of the work on a sculpture was devoted to carving, and 70 per cent to painting.
This object is included in the Xiangtangshan project, an international initiative based at the University of Chicago (2006) which aims to build up a digital reconstruction of this Northern Qi cave complex. See http://xts.uchicago.edu/introduction/ However, it is not certain that this object did once form part of these caves. Some argue that it is a later piece.
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Ashton, 'A Chinese statue in the V&A Museum' Burlington Magazine, XLV, 1924, p.72 Siren, O. 'Chinese Sculpture from the Fifth to the Fourteenth Century', 1925, # 285
O. Siren, Chinese Sculpture (7 Vols), 1925, p.77; Plate 285.
Exhibition History
Sculpture display (Victoria and Albert Museum, Gallery 47e)
Labels and date
Buddha
Possibly 550-77 (Northern Qi dynasty)
North China
The simple clothing worn by this Buddha echoes the modest robes worn by the historical Buddha when he reached enlightenment after an intense period of meditation. Behind the figure is an ornate halo or aureole, decorated with flowers and an inner ring of lotus petals. The symmetrical composition of the sculpture intensifies the calmness reflected in the Buddha's face. Traces of red, black and green pigment on the head hint at the brightly coloured surface of the figure in earlier times. [81 words]
Limestone, with traces of gesso, paint and gilding
Museum no. A.4-1924
Purchased with help from The Art Fund and private donors
Seated Buddha
550-577
Probably Northern Qi dynasty
Xiangtangshan, Hebei, China
Limestone with traces of gesso, paint and gilding
The Buddha's halo is formed of concentric bands of stylised lotus petals and powerful floral scroll, separated by rings. This halo design, together with the distinctive drapery that extends over the pedestal, suggests that the figure comes from a cave-temple complex at Xiangtangshan, south of Beijing. Traces of pigment on the head show that it was originally brightly coloured.
Purchased with help ...
Museum no. A.4-1924 [2009]
Production Note
Katherine Tsiang Mino of the University of Chicago (2007) has expressed the view that this object is of Northern Qi date (550-577 AD) and that its original site was North Xiangtangshan, North Cave.
Others have assigned a later date, but Dr Mino's research into the Xiangtangshan caves was followed when describing the sculpture for the Ho Family Foundation Gallery, 2009.
Materials
Limestone
Techniques
Carving
Subjects depicted
Lotus petal; Buddha, Shakyamuni
Categories
Sculpture; Buddhism
Production Type
Unique
Collection code
EAS
