Bodhisattva Kuan-Yin Analysis
Yuqiao Ji
ARTH 1004W
Final Paper
Analysis of the Bodhisattva Kuan-yin at Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Bodhisattvas are Buddhist deities who have forgone entrance into Nirvana until that time when all beings have attained enlightenment. In China, Kuan-yin became the most popular bodhisattva and was widely worshipped as the deity of mercy and compassion. —— Minneapolis Institute of Art Description
Reasons
The Bodhisattva Kuan-yin is chosen for this art analysis for three reasons, its location, shape, and its significant meaning in Asian Arts. This sculpture locates closest to stair on the second floor of Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA). It is the first art piece a visitor will see when entering the gallery section, which, leaves a strong first impression. This location also gives people a clue that it is one of the most featured art pieces at MIA. It attracts peoples’ eyes because of its huge and tall body, about 1.5 meters high and 1 meter wide. But even it is big, still made and painted in detail to …show more content…
every drape on the cloth and even to the decorative pattern on her necklace. It is an exquisite sculpture and its finesse tells people there must be a big amount of time consumed during the construction. The last reason this specific object is chosen is Buddhism is a highlight of Asia Arts. As we learned in class, Buddhism is originally from India and spread all over the Asian countries. This art form could be seen in different kinds of Asian art pieces. Unlike early-time Buddhism, which was created by an Indian called Shakyamuni. “A new Buddhist sect, called Mahayana (the Great Vehicle), emerged in the first century A.D. It elevated the Buddha Shakyamuni to the status of a deity and expanded the pantheon with past and future Buddhas and attendant bodhisattvas. Mahayana Buddhism was especially popular in the Far East, including China, Korea, and Japan.”[1] And Kuan-yin is a form of Bodhisattva. As I said before, Chinese people highly admired kuan-yin and have a preference on it. So, this object has been chosen.
Analysis
This Kuan-yin sculpture is originally from northern China and made during late 11th or early 12th century, which is the Song Dynasty.
During that period, Daoism and a revival of Confucian thinking become popular, which help flourish Buddhism during Tang and Song dynasty. Base on the approximate time period, it should be made during Northern Song dynasty. And because it is from northern China and such precious, I suspect it is from Kaifeng, the capital at that time, or near around. Northern Song is the time China unionized again, and the boundary of country is wide, which shows the strong economic and military power. Powerful government and developed economics lead governor focus more on religion building. So Buddhism is wide spread with the help of government. Many pagodas are built during that time, the highest building in Kaifeng, which is still famous today, is a pagoda. And pagoda is a significant building of
Buddhism. But, kuan-yin at Song Dynasty is more like a Buddha. In today’s China, basically, kuan-yin is portrayed in white china with a standing position and an obvious female figure. But this kuan-yin has a cross-leg seated position with hands holding up in the air, and both thumbs touching middle fingers. The face and body is plump. Its facial expression is peaceful and kind, with a little smile on it. This facial expression is very suitable for its image of saving people in difficulties. Simply look at the face, the shape of body and the gesture; it is hard for people to tell the gender of it. Besides, its size and its sitting position is really similar to a Buddha. Some people believe kuan-yin is neither male nor female. But I prefer to believe this kuan-yin is a female because she is wearing jewelry and her hair style look really like women in paintings of Tang dynasty shown during classes. Besides, there are flowers on the clothes. Those elements are too feminine for a male Buddha. Song dynasty is heavily influenced by Tang dynasty, and this sculpture somewhat reflects that. This kuan-yin is painted in three colors, red, yellow and green. These three colors are also most commonly used colors in sculpture during Tang dynasty. The famous Tang Dynasty three-color glazed pottery is named after these three colors.[2] According to the description, the robe kuan-yin wearing is made of silk and has flower pattern draw in thin white lines on it. In Northern Song Dynasty, silk manufacturing is well developed and the great textile pattern of the robe reflects that. And inter-country trade is improved by Silk Road, both ground and sea, different cultures already begun communication, that is probably why I felt the cloth has a little Persia style. The whole sculpture is made of wood, gesso, and mineral pigments, and gold. Robert Jacobsen, curator of Asian art has said, “[M]any historians agree that the last great moment in Chinese Buddhist sculpture occurred in the late Sung period, in the 12th and 13th centuries. Wooden sculpture at that time is perhaps the best we’ve ever seen.”[3] Indeed, this art work is three-dimension and fully detailed, even the back is painted well, and cloth in back also has drapes and flower pattern on it. From the direct looking, it is hard to analysis this is made of wood and gesso, it looks more like clay. But maybe its historical experience proofs that. When this art piece first came to the museum, it was broken and incomplete, both arms are broken and the crown is missing. What we see today is restructure by staff at MIA, the arms are original ones and glued back to the body, but, for the crown, we don’t know if it is the original one. Wooden sculpture are easy to break, this is also why, at first, Northern Song people used wood to build pagoda, but later, people changed the material to bricks. Technologies of artwork manufacturing are also highly developed in Northern Song dynasty. This kuan-yin is decorated with gold and precious gems. The necklace is made of gold, with leaf pattern on it, and even the root of leaves can be seen clearly, we can tell how well-developed the gold making technology is. Red gem are inlayed on necklace, but hundreds years past, they are not shinning anymore. Eyes are made in crystal, since the kuan-yin is middle open her eyes, the crystals are inlayed inside the wood.This technology is surprising because crystals are inlayed so deep inside that even hundreds years past, they are still shining and complete. There should be a gem on her forehead but, unfortunately, is missing now. So, a round hole appears on her forehead. The use of such high valued jewelry also reflects people’s worship to kuan-yin at that time.
Conclusion
This kuan-yin is a significant art work reflecting ancient China. First, the shape, pattern and fancy decoration reflect the development of Buddhism in Song Dynasty. We know what kind of Buddha people admired and to what extend their worship is. Basically, the bigger and more fancy a Buddha is, the deeper their worship is. Because no one will consume big amount of time building something no one like. Second, this sculpture reflects the technology development of Song Dynasty, wood sculpturing, gold making and silk cloth making are all highly developed during that time and these are shown on this art work. Third, this kuan-yin reflects the economic condition of Song dynasty. Multi-culture communication began at that time and cultural element in others countries influenced Chinese, art work somewhat includes elements originally from neighbor countries. Forth, this also reflect cultural development of Song Dynasty, art work will reflect people’s behavior and their opinion towards beauty. So, human shaped art pieces will somewhat like people of that time. This kuan-yin is plump instead of skinny, so at that time women are still don’t think “skinny is bueaty”. And her style of cloth and design of jewelry reflect the fashion trend at that time. Overall, art piece, like sculpture are precious legacy for us to learn more about our history.
-----------------------
[1] Minneapolis Institute of Arte. Retrieved from http://www.artsmia.org/art-of-asia/buddhism/buddhism-origins.cfm
[2] Jin, Zhu. (2009) Tang Dynasty Three-color Glazed Pottery, retrieved from http://english.cri.cn/6566/2009/04/03/1301s471106.htm
[3] (n.d.).The Cities of the Song. Retrieved from http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/song/urban/religion.htm
ARTH 1004W
Final Paper
Analysis of the Bodhisattva Kuan-yin at Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Bodhisattvas are Buddhist deities who have forgone entrance into Nirvana until that time when all beings have attained enlightenment. In China, Kuan-yin became the most popular bodhisattva and was widely worshipped as the deity of mercy and compassion. —— Minneapolis Institute of Art Description
Reasons
The Bodhisattva Kuan-yin is chosen for this art analysis for three reasons, its location, shape, and its significant meaning in Asian Arts. This sculpture locates closest to stair on the second floor of Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA). It is the first art piece a visitor will see when entering the gallery section, which, leaves a strong first impression. This location also gives people a clue that it is one of the most featured art pieces at MIA. It attracts peoples’ eyes because of its huge and tall body, about 1.5 meters high and 1 meter wide. But even it is big, still made and painted in detail to …show more content…
every drape on the cloth and even to the decorative pattern on her necklace. It is an exquisite sculpture and its finesse tells people there must be a big amount of time consumed during the construction. The last reason this specific object is chosen is Buddhism is a highlight of Asia Arts. As we learned in class, Buddhism is originally from India and spread all over the Asian countries. This art form could be seen in different kinds of Asian art pieces. Unlike early-time Buddhism, which was created by an Indian called Shakyamuni. “A new Buddhist sect, called Mahayana (the Great Vehicle), emerged in the first century A.D. It elevated the Buddha Shakyamuni to the status of a deity and expanded the pantheon with past and future Buddhas and attendant bodhisattvas. Mahayana Buddhism was especially popular in the Far East, including China, Korea, and Japan.”[1] And Kuan-yin is a form of Bodhisattva. As I said before, Chinese people highly admired kuan-yin and have a preference on it. So, this object has been chosen.
Analysis
This Kuan-yin sculpture is originally from northern China and made during late 11th or early 12th century, which is the Song Dynasty.
During that period, Daoism and a revival of Confucian thinking become popular, which help flourish Buddhism during Tang and Song dynasty. Base on the approximate time period, it should be made during Northern Song dynasty. And because it is from northern China and such precious, I suspect it is from Kaifeng, the capital at that time, or near around. Northern Song is the time China unionized again, and the boundary of country is wide, which shows the strong economic and military power. Powerful government and developed economics lead governor focus more on religion building. So Buddhism is wide spread with the help of government. Many pagodas are built during that time, the highest building in Kaifeng, which is still famous today, is a pagoda. And pagoda is a significant building of
Buddhism. But, kuan-yin at Song Dynasty is more like a Buddha. In today’s China, basically, kuan-yin is portrayed in white china with a standing position and an obvious female figure. But this kuan-yin has a cross-leg seated position with hands holding up in the air, and both thumbs touching middle fingers. The face and body is plump. Its facial expression is peaceful and kind, with a little smile on it. This facial expression is very suitable for its image of saving people in difficulties. Simply look at the face, the shape of body and the gesture; it is hard for people to tell the gender of it. Besides, its size and its sitting position is really similar to a Buddha. Some people believe kuan-yin is neither male nor female. But I prefer to believe this kuan-yin is a female because she is wearing jewelry and her hair style look really like women in paintings of Tang dynasty shown during classes. Besides, there are flowers on the clothes. Those elements are too feminine for a male Buddha. Song dynasty is heavily influenced by Tang dynasty, and this sculpture somewhat reflects that. This kuan-yin is painted in three colors, red, yellow and green. These three colors are also most commonly used colors in sculpture during Tang dynasty. The famous Tang Dynasty three-color glazed pottery is named after these three colors.[2] According to the description, the robe kuan-yin wearing is made of silk and has flower pattern draw in thin white lines on it. In Northern Song Dynasty, silk manufacturing is well developed and the great textile pattern of the robe reflects that. And inter-country trade is improved by Silk Road, both ground and sea, different cultures already begun communication, that is probably why I felt the cloth has a little Persia style. The whole sculpture is made of wood, gesso, and mineral pigments, and gold. Robert Jacobsen, curator of Asian art has said, “[M]any historians agree that the last great moment in Chinese Buddhist sculpture occurred in the late Sung period, in the 12th and 13th centuries. Wooden sculpture at that time is perhaps the best we’ve ever seen.”[3] Indeed, this art work is three-dimension and fully detailed, even the back is painted well, and cloth in back also has drapes and flower pattern on it. From the direct looking, it is hard to analysis this is made of wood and gesso, it looks more like clay. But maybe its historical experience proofs that. When this art piece first came to the museum, it was broken and incomplete, both arms are broken and the crown is missing. What we see today is restructure by staff at MIA, the arms are original ones and glued back to the body, but, for the crown, we don’t know if it is the original one. Wooden sculpture are easy to break, this is also why, at first, Northern Song people used wood to build pagoda, but later, people changed the material to bricks. Technologies of artwork manufacturing are also highly developed in Northern Song dynasty. This kuan-yin is decorated with gold and precious gems. The necklace is made of gold, with leaf pattern on it, and even the root of leaves can be seen clearly, we can tell how well-developed the gold making technology is. Red gem are inlayed on necklace, but hundreds years past, they are not shinning anymore. Eyes are made in crystal, since the kuan-yin is middle open her eyes, the crystals are inlayed inside the wood.This technology is surprising because crystals are inlayed so deep inside that even hundreds years past, they are still shining and complete. There should be a gem on her forehead but, unfortunately, is missing now. So, a round hole appears on her forehead. The use of such high valued jewelry also reflects people’s worship to kuan-yin at that time.
Conclusion
This kuan-yin is a significant art work reflecting ancient China. First, the shape, pattern and fancy decoration reflect the development of Buddhism in Song Dynasty. We know what kind of Buddha people admired and to what extend their worship is. Basically, the bigger and more fancy a Buddha is, the deeper their worship is. Because no one will consume big amount of time building something no one like. Second, this sculpture reflects the technology development of Song Dynasty, wood sculpturing, gold making and silk cloth making are all highly developed during that time and these are shown on this art work. Third, this kuan-yin reflects the economic condition of Song dynasty. Multi-culture communication began at that time and cultural element in others countries influenced Chinese, art work somewhat includes elements originally from neighbor countries. Forth, this also reflect cultural development of Song Dynasty, art work will reflect people’s behavior and their opinion towards beauty. So, human shaped art pieces will somewhat like people of that time. This kuan-yin is plump instead of skinny, so at that time women are still don’t think “skinny is bueaty”. And her style of cloth and design of jewelry reflect the fashion trend at that time. Overall, art piece, like sculpture are precious legacy for us to learn more about our history.
-----------------------
[1] Minneapolis Institute of Arte. Retrieved from http://www.artsmia.org/art-of-asia/buddhism/buddhism-origins.cfm
[2] Jin, Zhu. (2009) Tang Dynasty Three-color Glazed Pottery, retrieved from http://english.cri.cn/6566/2009/04/03/1301s471106.htm
[3] (n.d.).The Cities of the Song. Retrieved from http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/song/urban/religion.htm