A BLACKSTONE STELE OF CROWNED BUDDHA

NORTHEASTERN INDIA, PALA PERIOD, 10TH CENTURY

Footnotes

Finished with a high polish, the figure is superbly modeled here following the classic conventions of the Kurkihar style. Buddha sits beneath the leaves of the Bodhi tree, recalling the pivotal moment when the Earth bore witness to his enlightenment. Four stupas frame him, perhaps symbolizing one for each direction as his dharma spreads throughout the universe. On the back, the stone is inscribed with the Buddhist "Ye dharma hetu" creed, translated:

"All phenomena arise from causes;
Those causes have been taught by the Tathagatha,
And their cessation too has been proclaimed by the Great Shramaṇa."

Thought to be distinct from images of the Wisdom Buddha Akshobhya the stele depicts Shakyamuni Buddha crowned and adorned with jewelry. While seemingly at odds with Siddhartha's renunciation of his princely birthright, Chandra suggested in 1922 that the image is meant to remind us that Buddha was more than just a man (see Krishnan, "Origin of the Crowned Buddha Image", in East and West, 1971, p. 91). The Crowned Buddha appears to employ regal imagery to convey assertions of spiritual dominion and authority. The cult of the Crowned Buddha developed in Northeastern India by the 9th century and gained popularity throughout Southeast Asia.

A closely related example to compare is published in Heeramaneck, Masterpieces of Indian Sculpture, New York, 1979, no. 119. Another related example of a Crowned Buddha seated in 'Western pose' is held in the Fine Arts Museum, Boston, see Coomaraswamy, Catalogue of the Indian Collections: Part II: Sculpture, 1923, p.77, pl.XXXV; acc.#21.1719.

Provenance
Private European Collection
Acquired from Eskenazi, Milan, 1982



黑石寶冠佛碑
印度東北部，帕拉時期，十世紀
喜馬拉雅藝術資源網2136號
高 35.7 釐米 （14 英寸）

300,000-500,000 港元

碑中佛像黝黑锃亮，形態惟妙惟肖，沿襲了傳統的庫基哈爾風格。此作品中佛陀靜坐於菩提樹葉之下，表現的是其令大地為證，證明其已得無上正等正覺之重要時刻。四座舍利塔圍繞佛陀身軀，可能像征四個方向，預示其佛法弘揚宇宙。石碑背面雕刻有佛教的"Ye dharma hetu"教義，譯為：

"諸法從緣起，如來說是因，彼法因緣盡，是大沙門說。"

與智光佛阿閦佛的形像截然不同，此石碑刻畫的是頭戴寶冠身披纓絡的釋迦牟尼佛。雖然似乎與悉達多毅然拋棄自己高貴的出身相矛盾，但是 Chandra 在 1922 年提出，此形像意在提醒我們佛陀並非凡人（參見Krishnan，"Origin of the Crowned Buddha Image"，刊載於East and West，1971 年，頁 91 ）。寶冠佛以王者之形像，似乎傳達了佛祖的精神統治和權威。對寶冠佛的崇拜在九世紀起源於印度東北部，後逐漸風靡整個東南亞。

與其關系密切的對照作品可見於 Heeramaneck 編著的Masterpieces of Indian Sculpture，紐約，1979 年，119 號。另一個相關作品是以"西方姿態"坐立的寶冠佛，收藏於波士頓美術館，可見於 Coomaraswamy 編著的Catalogue of the Indian Collections: Part II: Sculpture，1923 年，頁77，版圖XXXV；館藏號21.1719。

來源
歐洲私人收藏
於 1982 年購自 Eskenazi（米蘭）