Chinese Buddhist Art

Chinese Buddhist art is the origin from which much of Japanese Buddhist art grew. For more than a millennium, Japanese monks, envoys and merchants brought images, paintings, sutras and implements from China, and Japanese collectors have treasured Chinese Buddhist works ever since. Many fine Chinese pieces have rested in Japanese temples and private collections for generations.

The great periods

  • Northern Wei, fifth and sixth centuries. The cave temples of Yungang and Longmen, with elongated, smiling figures and stylised drapery. Small gilt bronzes and stone steles with dated inscriptions survive from this age.
  • Tang, seventh to tenth centuries. A golden age of full, sensuous sculpture and the cave paintings of Dunhuang. Tang style shaped the Buddhist art of Nara.
  • Song, tenth to thirteenth centuries. Graceful wooden figures of Guanyin seated in royal ease, and the ink painting that Zen monks carried to Japan.
  • Ming and Qing, fourteenth to early twentieth centuries. Gilt bronzes for the court, some with Tibetan influence; white porcelain Guanyin from Dehua; cloisonné and lacquer figures.

Guanyin

In China, Kannon became Guanyin, increasingly feminine and maternal, often seated by water or holding a child. The water-moon Guanyin and the white-robed Guanyin travelled to Japan through Zen painting and remained favourite subjects.

Collecting notes

  • Chinese pieces long held in Japan carry a distinct and respected provenance. Old Japanese boxes and inscriptions are valuable evidence of their history.
  • Reign marks on Ming and Qing bronzes were widely used in later periods. Judge by casting, gilding and style, not by the mark alone.
  • Dated inscriptions on early pieces should be assessed with care, as later carving is known.

In the collection

Browse Chinese Buddhist art and the Buddhist Statues and Sacred Art collection. Our collector concierge can search Japan for Chinese Buddhist works.

See also

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