佛像网

尺寸：H. 24 cm
年代：辽代
质地：铜鎏金
风格：中原
来源：南京德基艺术博物馆
参阅：外部链接
鉴赏：
大日如来跏趺坐于圆形莲台之上，双手当胸，结智拳印。
如来高挽发髻，顶严饰摩尼宝珠；宝冠高耸，周缘凸起如棱，内缘浮雕联珠，其间点缀团花，迎面浮雕五方佛，上端饰九颗摩尼宝珠，下沿左右横出忍冬蔓草；宝缯托曳，结节沿两肩外侧垂落。如来面如满月，弯眉细目，鼻梁挺直，双唇微翕，双目微睁，神情庄静；发丝清透，额际中分，耳后一缕长发缘双肩结节披落，与宝缯并列，两耳饰团花耳珰。身躯丰满，披双层佛衣，下着长裙，叠落分明，衣领低垂，项部浮雕阶梯状三道，佩系花鬘项绳，腰间束绦，腕严具足。莲台圆雕四层仰莲，莲瓣饱满舒展，尖端略向外侈，下接三层阶式团花形台基。
“大日如来”，乃梵文Vairocana之意译，音译即“毗卢遮那佛”，作为“密宗”最上根本尊佛，认为是理智不二的法身佛。公元7世纪，“密宗”开始在古印度兴起。公元8世纪，狮子国不空（705～774）与印度善无畏（637～735）、金刚智（671～741），相继入唐，得到皇室优待，并称“开元三大士”，促成密宗在中国境内的传播。密宗依《大日经》《金刚顶经》建立三密瑜伽，事理观行，修本尊法。
密宗在辽境极为盛行，时燕京圆福寺总秘大师觉苑和五台山金河寺沙门道硕是其中领袖。觉苑曾师事印度摩尼三藏，深究瑜伽奥旨，负有盛名，撰《大日经义释科文》5卷、《演秘钞》10卷，发挥一行学说。道硕通内外学说，兼究禅、律，后专弘密宗，撰《显密圆通成佛心要集》2卷。两人均据《华严经》圆教思想以融会密学，他们虽祖述善无畏、一行所传胎藏系，但与不空所传金刚系则更为接近。辽境之内，密宗经典传译及义学疏论较多。一些寺庙，如始建于辽道宗清宁八年（1062）的山西大同华严寺亦供奉如本尊鎏金铜大日如来坐像宝冠所浮雕五方佛，或称“五智如来”：大日如来居中；左首第一位南方宝生佛，表福德；左首第二位东方阿閦佛，表觉性；右首第一位西方阿弥陀佛，表智慧；右首第二位北方不空成就佛，表事业。
本尊辽鎏金铜大日如来坐像，作为一尊制作精良的佳品，无疑见证了当时辽境密宗的兴盛。

在八年前的12月，巴黎佳士得拍出了一尊可称得上“天价”的辽代铜鎏金大日如来坐像。估价仅15-20万欧元，最后一路举到逾千万欧元，以13570500欧元的价格成交，合人民币超亿元。

Lot 53
辽 鎏金铜大日如来坐像（左巡院验记官检 款）
H 24 cm
估价：150,000 - 200,000 EUR
成交价：13,570,500 EUR
来源：Acquired in 1941 by Mr Bisseling, The Hague and thence by descent.
Private Dutch collection.
出版：
H. A. van Oort, The Iconography of Chinese Buddhism in Traditional China, volume II: Sung to Ch'ing, Leiden, E. J. Brill, 1986, p. 23, plate XXXV.

24厘米的尺寸在同类造像中算是比较大的了，与故宫馆藏的两尊近似。比较特殊的是在造像底座刻有“左巡院验记官检”铭文。巡院，又称都市警巡院，创始于辽代。据《辽史·百官志》记载，辽于五京均设有警巡院，置有警巡使、警巡副使。其职能是治刑狱、理治安、检括城市户口。金代，完颜亮迁都燕京，设为中都，并恢复了辽代城市警巡院制度。至金世宗大定八年（公元1168年），中都城市警巡院已增置为左、右两个。其中左巡院即有负责监察铜禁制度的职能，在铜镜上会刻“左巡院验记官”六字铭文。

当然铭文是加分项，辽代造像常有密教色彩，并且在装饰上较唐代更加繁复精细，一些精品在拍场上往往有超出预期的表现。

来自2016.12的巴黎佳士得拍卖: 外部链接

Provenance
Acquired in 1941 by Mr Bisseling, The Hague and thence by descent.
Private Dutch collection.

Literature
H. A. van Oort, The Iconography of Chinese Buddhism in Traditional China, volume II: Sung to Ch'ing, Leiden, E. J. Brill, 1986, p. 23, plate XXXV.

Lot Essay
This exceptional gilt-bronze figure of Vairocana illustrates the five Tathagatas in his highly ornate cylindrical crown. This seems to be a unique iconographic feature found amongst the small group of comparable elite bronzes cast under the patronage of the rulers of the Liao dynasty (907-1125). This known group of bronzes all demonstrate a comparable style: the figure itself is dignified and serene, the gilding is fine, and they wear lavish adornments and drapery. The style derives from late Tang dynasty (618-907) iconography. The known group shares a specific type of lotus base that can be divided into two different shapes. One cast with an integral lotus base supported by cabriole legs and the other with the lotus pericarp directly placed on a low drum-shaped base, like the current one.

The inside of this bronze Vairocana’s base is incised with an inscription mentioning that the bronze was registered at a local government office. It is known from research that bronze as a material was rare and costly in these days. Therefore, bronze objects were exclusive and had to be registered before being brought on the market. Perhaps its importance and particularly heavy weight required this official government approval.

Most of the known bronze examples represent bodhisattvas and only but a few would depict a Buddha form. Most of the latter kind represent Buddha Amitabha. Only one other Vairocana example, though it was described as a bodhisattva, seems to be known and was published by A & J Speelman Ltd., International Asian Art Fair [catalogue], New York, 1998, p. 76. In 2006, that bronze was acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of New York (accession number 2006.284) who identified it correctly as Vairocana, based on the specific hand gesture. This esoteric ‘mudra of knowledge’ (janamudra) or ‘diamond fist’ (vajramudra) symbolises the combination of opposites, male and female, yin and yang, as well as wisdom and compassion. However, that bronze figure does not bear the five Tathagatas in his crown like the current example.

Vairocana is the Primordial Buddha from whom all things emanate. He heads the group of five Tathagatas or cosmic Buddhas, each representing a different mood, colour and direction. The teachings of the transcendent Buddhas were relatively popular in China from the Tang up to the Liao period based on various stone and clay examples that have come down to us.

This small group of luxurious commissions for Liao Buddhist shrines can be dated to the eleventh century, based on a group of over life-size clay figures in the Lower Huayan Temple, Datong, Shanxi Province, dated to 1038 AD. The temple was then located in the western capital of the Liao kingdom. Angela Falco Howard (et al.) published a picture of the shrine in her magnum opus Chinese Sculpture, Yale University Press, New Haven, 2006, p. 375, figure 4.18. Bodhisattvas of this shrine share the same proportions, ornaments, clothes and high crowns along with several of their gilt-bronze counterparts, including the current one. Other gilt-bronze Liao examples in public institutions are cited in the catalogue note of Lot 396, Christie’s, New York, 19 March 2008. However none of these cited comparable gilt-bronze Buddhist figures match the quality, rarity and iconographic complexity of this superbly cast sacred image.