Head of a Bodhisattva, Perhaps Mahasthamaprapta

COLLECTION NAME:

The AMICA Library

mediaCollectionId

AMICO~1~1

The AMICA Library

Collection

true

AMICA ID:

ASIA.1979.115

amicoid

ASIA.1979.115

AMICA ID

false

AMICA Library Year:

1998

aly

1998

AMICA Library Year

false

Object Type:

Sculpture

oty

Sculpture

Object Type

false

Creator Nationality:

Asian; Far East Asian; Chinese

crc

Asian; Far East Asian; Chinese

Creator Nationality

false

Creator Name-CRT:

Chinese

crt

Chinese

Creator Name-CRT

false

Title:

Head of a Bodhisattva, Perhaps Mahasthamaprapta

otn

Head of a Bodhisattva, Perhaps Mahasthamaprapta

Title

false

View:

Full view

rid

Full view

View

false

Creation Date:

Tang period, early 8th century

oct

Tang period, early 8th century

Creation Date

false

Creation Start Date:

700

ocs

700

Creation Start Date

false

Creation End Date:

733

oce

733

Creation End Date

false

Materials and Techniques:

Limestone with traces of pigment

omd

Limestone with traces of pigment

Materials and Techniques

false

Creation Place:

North China

ocp

North China

Creation Place

false

Dimensions:

H. 13 in. (33 cm)

met

H. 13 in. (33 cm)

Dimensions

false

AMICA Contributor:

Asia Society

oon

Asia Society

AMICA Contributor

false

Owner Location:

New York, New York, USA

oop

New York, New York, USA

Owner Location

false

ID Number:

1979.115

ooa

1979.115

ID Number

false

Credit Line:

Asia Society: The Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection

ooc

Asia Society: The Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection

Credit Line

false

Rights:

http://www.asiasociety.org

orl

<a href="http://www.asiasociety.org"target="_new">http://www.asiasociety.org</a>

Rights

false

Context:

The style and iconography of Chinese Buddhist art, particularly from the 5th through 8th centuries, provides a visual record of the many ways in which the beliefs, customs, and aesthetics of India and China were accommodated to each other to form a distinctive, sinicized tradition of Buddhist thought and art. The full cheeks and plump features of this 8th-century head of a bodhisattva illustrates one of the most important and enduring styles of Buddhist imagery to develop in China. The flaming jewel (chintamani) in the bodhisattva's headdress suggests that this head came from a sculpture of Mahasthamaprapta. This bodhisattva is rarely depicted alone, and it is likely that this head was once part of a triad representing Amitabha Buddha with two attendant bodhisattvas, Mahasthamaprapta and Avalokiteshvara. Carved in the 8th century at the height of the Tang dynasty, sculptures of this style are distinguished by the softness and plumpness of the cheeks, arms, stomach, and other parts of the body. They differ noticeably from earlier works, which were influenced to a certain extent by Indian aesthetics and so emphasize the idealized lines of the bones of the body rather than its flesh.

During the Tang dynasty, China was a major world power, and in addition to trading ceramics and luxury goods to many parts of Asia, it was the source of Buddhism for Korea and Japan, where 8th-century Chinese Buddhist art had a profound influence. As a result, sculptures in the style seen in this charming head were produced throughout Korea and Japan.

cxd

The style and iconography of Chinese Buddhist art, particularly from the 5th through 8th centuries, provides a visual record of the many ways in which the beliefs, customs, and aesthetics of India and China were accommodated to each other to form a distinctive, sinicized tradition of Buddhist thought and art. The full cheeks and plump features of this 8th-century head of a bodhisattva illustrates one of the most important and enduring styles of Buddhist imagery to develop in China. The flaming jewel (<I>chintamani</I>) in the bodhisattva's headdress suggests that this head came from a sculpture of Mahasthamaprapta. This bodhisattva is rarely depicted alone, and it is likely that this head was once part of a triad representing Amitabha Buddha with two attendant bodhisattvas, Mahasthamaprapta and Avalokiteshvara. Carved in the 8th century at the height of the Tang dynasty, sculptures of this style are distinguished by the softness and plumpness of the cheeks, arms, stomach, and other parts of the body. They differ noticeably from earlier works, which were influenced to a certain extent by Indian aesthetics and so emphasize the idealized lines of the bones of the body rather than its flesh.<P>During the Tang dynasty, China was a major world power, and in addition to trading ceramics and luxury goods to many parts of Asia, it was the source of Buddhism for Korea and Japan, where 8th-century Chinese Buddhist art had a profound influence. As a result, sculptures in the style seen in this charming head were produced throughout Korea and Japan.</P>

Context

false

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Head of a Bodhisattva, Perhaps Mahasthamaprapta