Circa 1368 AD to 1644 AD
Dimensions 39″ (99.1cm) high
Medium Wood
Origin China
Upon leading
a victorious rebellion against the foreign Mongol rulers of the Yuan Dynasty, a
peasant named Zhu Yuanzhang seized control of China and founded the Ming
Dynasty in 1368. As emperor, he founded his capital at Nanjing and adopted the
name Hongwu as his reign title. Hongwu, literally meaning “vast military,”
reflects the increased prestige of the army during the Ming Dynasty. Due to the
very real threat still posed by the Mongols, Hongwu realised that a strong
military was essential to Chinese safety and prosperity. Thus, the orthodox
Confucian view that the military was an inferior class to be ruled over by an
elite class of scholars was reconsidered, and effectively polarised. During the
Ming Dynasty, China was reunited after centuries of foreign incursion and
occupation. Ming troops controlled Manchuria, and the Korean Joseon Dynasty
respected the authority of the Ming rulers, at least nominally.
Like the
founders of the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. -220 A.D.), Hongwu was extremely
suspicious of the educated courtiers who advised him and, fearful that they
might attempt to overthrow him. To prevent this, he successfully consolidated
control of all aspect of government. The strict authoritarian control Hongwu
wielded over the affairs of the country was due in part to the centralised
system of government he inherited from the Mongols, a system that was
effectively perpetuated. This was to be an all-Chinese affair, however: Hongwu
replaced all the high-ranking Mongol bureaucrats with native Chinese
administrators. He also reinstituted the Confucian examination system that
tested would-be civic officials on their knowledge of literature and
philosophy. Unlike the Song Dynasty (960-1279 A.D.) which received most of its
taxes from mercantile commerce, the Ming economy was based primarily on
agriculture, reflecting both the peasant roots of its founder as well as the
Confucian belief that trade was ignoble and parasitic.
Culturally,
the greatest innovation of the Ming Dynasty was the introduction of the novel.
Developed from the folk tales of traditional storytellers, these works were
transcribed in the everyday vernacular language of the people. Advances in
printmaking and the increasing population of urban dwellers largely contributed
to the success of these books. Architecturally, the most famous monument of the
Ming Dynasty is surely the complex of temples and palaces in Beijing. Known as
the Forbidden City, this architectural behemoth was constructed after the third
ruler of the Ming Dynasty (Emperor Yongle) moved the capital there in c.1421.
The current
sculpture dates from this fascinating and turbulent period. Bodhisattvas are
enlightened beings who have put off entering paradise in order to help others
attain enlightenment. There are many different Bodhisattvas, but the most
famous in China is Avalokitesvara, known in Chinese as Guanyin. Early
depictions of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara displayed male characteristics, but
this tradition subsequently became less rigid. By the end of the Yuan Dynasty
(AD 1367/8), most Guanyin sculptures depicted the beings as young women, often
bearing a vase of holy water to cleanse the souls of those they were bound to
protect. According to legend, Guanyin was born on the nineteenth of the second
lunar month, achieved enlightenment on the nineteenth of the sixth lunar month
and achieved nirvana on the nineteenth of the ninth lunar month. It is said
that s/he is the top Bodhisattva beside Shakyamuni Buddha, and an assistant
Bodhisattva beside Amitabha Buddha in the Western World of Ultimate Bliss. It
is believed that any sentient being who recites his/her name during a disaster
would be heard and saved, which can explain why his/her importance to Chinese
Buddhism. “Guanyin” literally means “observing the sounds”, which refers to the
belief that the Guanyin would observe all the sounds in the world, particularly
listening for requests from worshippers. The current example is female, and
stands 39″ tall on an incorporated base. The pose is somewhat langurous, with
the weight shifted onto the right leg while the left is slightly bent. The left
hand hangs by the side, holding some implement or piece of drapery. The right
hand is raised, and appears to be an object of contemplation by Guanyin. The
head is carved in a mood of reflective serenity, and is inclined slightly to
the right. The sculpture is topped with a tall, ornate crown of generally
floral aspect, with plume-like eminences arranged in vertically-oriented
bunches. The underlying hair has been gathered up underneath the crown, leaving
a halo of hair around its perimeter. A loose tunic-like garment (dhoti) envelops
the lower half of the body, and further drapery (scarves) is casually wrapped
over the shoulders. The complexity of the drapery and the care with which it
has been carved is stunning – the individual folds and creases are all cleanly
and deftly rendered, and contrast with the smooth texture of the skin. The
figure additionally wears two bracelets on the left wrist, as well as a
necklace and pendant arrangement in the chest area. This is a superb and
important sculpture that would grace any collection of Eastern art.
