佛像鉴定鉴赏收藏

尺寸：像高419.1厘米 含基座高449.6厘米
年代：北齐
质地：砂岩石雕
风格：中原
来源：纽约大都会博物馆
参阅：外部链接
鉴赏：
美国大都会博物馆的中国展厅内，有一尊巨大的北齐彩绘石雕观音菩萨立像，像高竟达419.1厘米，在博物馆室内展出的如此高大的圆雕石像世所罕见。博物馆资料显示此像出自山西，不知是否来自云岗石窟。但从面部特征来看似乎有山西石雕的特点。菩萨面形清秀消瘦、长颈、肩窄且下削，这种造像为北魏晚期推行“汉化”改革，出现的一种清新典雅“秀骨清像”的艺术形象，成为北魏后期佛教造像显著特点。

整尊造像雕工精美细腻，菩萨神态慈悲安详。观音菩萨头戴宝冠，宝冠中央镶嵌一巨大宝珠。面形清秀，双目微垂，双肩披帛沿臂而下。佩戴璎珞项链，下身挂满珠宝饰品庄严全身。此像最大特点为饰品华丽庄严；从头冠到全身都佩有大量的珠宝璎珞饰品。据说这样的装饰与“法华经”第二十五观世音菩萨普门品有关；“无尽意菩萨白佛言，世尊，我今当供养观世音菩萨。即解颈众宝珠璎珞、价值百千两金，而以与之，作是言，仁者，受此法施珍宝璎珞。时观世音菩萨不肯受之。无尽意复白观世音菩萨言，仁者，愍我等故，受此璎珞。尔时佛告观世音菩萨，当愍此无尽意菩萨、及四众、天、龙、夜叉、乾闼婆、阿修罗、迦楼罗、紧那罗、摩睺罗伽、人非人等故，受是璎珞。”依此经文内容，观世音菩萨佩饰大量珍宝璎珞饰品即象征观音菩萨的慈悲和怜悯，这也成为了后世观音菩萨造像之标准。

此造像巨大，世所罕见。为方便运输，盗运者将石像拦腰锯断后打包运出，到美国后再拼接而成。

Large-scale sculptures of bodhisattvas wearing extraordinary jewelry epitomize stylistic and iconographic innovations in Chinese sculpture from the second half of the sixth century. The astonishing jeweled harness adorning this bodhisattva is made up of two long strands of pearl-like clusters and multifaceted beads. Some elements, such as the triangular pendants, have Chinese precedents. Others, such as the pearl cabochons, derive from Central Asian traditions. The appearance of such elaborately figural sculptures, which later became standard in Chinese Buddhist art, attests to a growing devotion to Avalokiteshvara in the second half of the sixth century. It is possible that the jewels refer to a passage in the Lotus Sutra in which the historical Buddha Shakyamuni and another bodhisattva extol Avalokiteshvara’s great compassion and presents him with a pearl necklace as a symbol of his benevolence.