Marble figure of the Buddha
Amitabha
From Chongguang temple, Hancui village, Hebei,
northern China
Sui dynasty, AD
585
Inscribed with a
dedication
Although Buddhism spread throughout China, it
was a foreign religion whose principles did not always concur with
traditional Chinese values. Buddhist imagery was often accompanied
by Chinese motifs, reflecting Buddhism's adaptability and
Chinese inclusiveness.
Most
of the Chinese sculpture from the fourth to the fourteenth century
is Buddhist. The two emperors of the Sui dynasty (AD 589-618) were
both devout Buddhists and they are recorded as being responsible
for the creation and repair of many Buddhist images. This marble
figure of the Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of the Western Paradise,
is thought to be one such work. The inscription in its base records
that it was dedicated at the Chongguang temple in Hancui village in
the fifth year of Kaihung, AD 585. The hands are missing but the
right hand would have been raised, palm outwards in the gesture of
reassurance (abhaya
mudra), and the left hand lowered in the
gesture of liberality (varada
mudra). The figure has a very solid form and
drapery in extremely flat folds, typical of the Sui
period.
The Buddha Amitabha
was originally accompanied by a smaller standing
bodhisattva,
which is now in the Tokyo National Museum.