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Emeishan Wannian Temple Brick Hall: Samantabhadra Bodhisattva
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Emeishan Wannian Temple Brick Hall: Samantabhadra Bodhisattva
CHINA, Sichuan, Leshan; Northern Song dynasty (960–1127), dated 980; Gilt copper alloy; H: 7.4 m
The construction of the statue was supervised by the eunuch, Zhang Renzan, by order of the emperor. Separate parts were molded and cast in Chengdu, then transported to the temple where it was assembled. The statue weighs approximately 62 t. Initially, it was kept within a pavilion, since the Brick Hall that presently houses it was not constructed until 1600.
It is promised in the Lotus Sutra that those who recite it will be visited by a vision of Samantabhadra, like the statue depicted here. The caparisoned white elephant is 3.33 m high and has six tusks and stands on lotus blossoms. The Bodhisattva measures 2.65 m high and is elaborately crowned. The figure sits in lotus posture on a large lotus throne that is mounted on the elephant's back and is 1.42 m high. A ruyi (wish-fulfilling talisman) is held in the right hand while the left hand opens in varada (wish-granting) mudra. |
