Changing Depiction of Seated Buddha
The comparative analysis of the changing depiction of the seated Buddha illuminates the intertwining threads of art, religion, and socio-political dynamics. The Chinese Buddha, with its gender-neutral, serene, and human-like qualities, embodies Confucian beliefs in the North Wei Dynasty, while its Afghan counterpart exudes a more masculine, and powerful divine aura rooted in Afghanistan's historical role as a trade center along the Silk Road, highlighting how socio-political, religious, and cultural contexts affect the artistic portrayal of the Bodhisattva. Though depicting the same subject, the two Bodhisattva differ in representing the in-betweenness of humanity and divinity, exemplifying contrasting cultural, geographical, and political contexts through variations in posture and expression; gender representation and attire; and function.
Though portraying the same subject, the in-betweenness of humanity and divinity are represented differently throughout the postures and facial expressions of the two artworks due to the distinctive cultural contexts and social settings in which they were created. The China Bodhisattva with crossed ankles has a more relaxed and comfortable posture with ankles casually crossing together, the left arm resting on the knee, and the right hand held upright with the palm facing forward in a gesture of allaying fears (Met Website.) The casual posture of the Chinese Bodhisattva makes its existence closer to the ordinary human being which can be attributed to the idea of “Conventionalization” of Buddhism at the time in China (Rowland Jr, Benjamin, 1937.) Meanwhile, the one found in Afghanistan is in a more rigid and serious posture of sitting cross-legged, holding the sacrificial water flask in his left hand. The posture is distinct from everyday life, making it more divine and God-like distant from conventional individuals. The audience would observe a similar pattern when taking a closer look at the facial expressions of the two artworks. The piece found in China has a small, round face. With the head slightly leaning downward, eyes subtly open, upturned corners of the mouth, and the upward trend of the facial muscle, the Bodhisattva appears to be looking down at the pilgrims with a kind and merciful smile. On the contrary, the piece found in Afghanistan has a significantly larger head. As all the facial features are carved in deeper relief, the more serious expression conveys a sense of majesty and supreme divine power. The difference between the choice of divinity and humanity could be a product of the belief in the North Wei Dynasty China that naturalistic representation raises the idol beyond and above the classical standard, whereby the gods are made anthropomorphic to accommodate the limitations of the worshiper in imagining the object of devotion (Rowland Jr, Benjamin, 1937.)
Additionally, the different cultural, geographical, and social contexts under which the two sculptures were created also contribute to the distinctive depictions of their gender representation, hairstyles, and attires. In traditional Buddhist doctrines, Buddhas and Bodhisattva are gender neutral as in the centrality of egolessness to a Buddhist view and way of life, if the self lacks inherent existence, no attribute of that self, such as gender, color, or shape, could be said to have inherent existence (Gross, 2004.) However, the Bodhisattva found in China, with its tender body proportions, soft contours, and slender limbs, seems to be, by all accounts, gender-neutral but also slightly feminine. In contrast, the Afghan one is depicted in a masculine style with broad shoulders, a big head, a strong torso, and big arms. Besides the artists’ depiction of their physical features, the attire the Bodhisattvas are wearing also reinforces such differences in gender expression. The China Bodhisattva wears flowy garments with draperies that contour the shape of the body carved in low relief. Without emphasizing a strong sense of layers, the attire again contributes to the kind and human nature of the Bodhisattva. Opposingly, the Afghan sculptor focused on a more detailed depiction of the jewelry of the Bodhisattva and a deeper relief of the garment that covers less area of the Bodhisattva’s body. The visual contrast between the jewelry's small sense of volume and a larger area of bare skin makes the Bodhisattva appear even bigger, more muscular, and more powerful. This difference in gender representation might be attributed to China's traditional belief in Confucianism which admires peace, unity, and kindness instead of physical strength or violence (Liebenthal, 1955.) On the contrary, Afghanistan’s history of being in constant political turbulence cultivated their need and admiration for masculinity and the physical power it represented. Moreover, geographical and cultural differences also result in disparities in Bodhisattva's hairstyles (Habibi, 1999.) Even though they both have braided hair, the Afghanistan one is in more detail and Western style- a sign of cultural exchange between continents as Afghanistan's location at the crossroads of Central Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East makes it a meeting point for various cultures and civilizations throughout history. Differently, due to the comprehensive reform policy of Sinicization in 471-494 by Emperor Xiaowen, Buddha statues started to have obvious cultural characteristics of the Central Plains which were reflected in the Chinese Bodhisattva (Li, 2023.)
Besides variances in their forms, the two Bodhisattvas' initial functions also embody the different timely, cultural, and geographical contexts they were created. Bodhisattva Maitreya, Buddha of the Future, usually conveys people’s wishes for the future indicating the timely social environment. Both sculptures are life-size and the Afghan one is attached and carved from a plaque, making them too large for domestic use or portable but instead to be placed as an object to concentrate on in meditation, a symbol (Rowland Jr, Benjamin, 1937.) The China Bodhisattva is likely commissioned by the royal family or imperial house as documented that “the main impulse for their construction lay in the continued support and patronage of the imperial house (Vanderstappen, 1989.) The Bodhisattva is believed to possess a secret spiritual power of miracle which may suggest the royal family’s concerns and a devotional purpose. The antiquity of Buddhism in Afghanistan comes when two Afghan travelers came to India for trade and met the Buddha after his enlightenment followed by the Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang who visited Afghanistan in the 7th (Dwivedi, 2017.) The Bodhisattva Maitreya became popular because of his healing powers and most especially his reputation as the protector of land and maritime traders again coincides with Afghanistan’s geographical location as a trade center on the Silk Road (Bopearachchi, 2018.) Additionally, none of these two works are signed or inscribed or with any traces of the sculptors which conveys the idea that the statue is dedicated as an act of merit of its patron, under the China case, monarchy.
In conclusion, through the nuanced portrayal of the two Seated Buddhas, the audiences could gain an insight into the profound interplay between art, religion, politics, and cultures in the two distinct times and regions. The more human nature of the Chinese Bodhisattva and the divinity of the Afghan Bodhisattva demonstrate the unique social and cultural context they were under. Therefore, the sculptors' depiction unveils the interrelated threads of society and art throughout various civic establishments.
Bibliography
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