Stele of Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha, and Maitreya the Buddha of the future, 512 CE-532 CE ::

Details

Other Titles: Rectangular votive steel carved on all four sides with the figures of Buddha, Maitreya, Bodhisattvas, spirit kings and donors
Votive stele
Buddhist stele
Place where the work was made: China
Period: Northern Wei 386 - 535 → Northern dynasties 420 - 589 → China
Date: 512 CE-532 CE
Media category: Sculpture
Materials used: sandstone
Dimensions: 143.8 x 53.3 x 19.5 cm
Signature & date: Not signed. Not dated.
Credit: Purchased with assistance from the Art Gallery Society of New South Wales and the Edward and Goldie Sternberg Chinese Art Purchase Fund 1995
Location: Not on display
Accession number: 202.1995
Copyright: Reproduction requests
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About

The front side of this stele is carved with a principal image of Shakyamuni Buddha seated in a niche, while the reverse features a principal image of the Future Buddha, Maitreya, sitting cross-legged. The Shakyamuni Buddha sits beneath a flame-ornamented canopy and is flanked by a pair of Bodhisattvas: those most human of beings in the vast pantheon of Buddhist deities who, having achieved Buddhahood, elect to remain on earth out of compassion. The figure of Maitreya sits beneath an ornately decorated canopy and is also flanked by a pair of small Bodhisattva images. Above both the principal images the stele is carved with miniature Buddhas. A dedicatory inscription on the upper right bears the now partially damaged reign date, which reads: 'chang yuan nian...'. The absence of the first character precludes a precise date, but indicates either 512, 525 or 532. Further inscriptions on all sides of the stele give the names of donors who contributed to its construction as an act of Buddhist devotion.

Art Gallery Handbook, 1999. pg.249.

Places

Where the work was made

China

Exhibition history

Shown in 5 exhibitions

Early Chinese art from tombs and temples, Eskenazi Ltd Oriental Art, London, 08 Jun 1993–09 Jul 1993
Buddha: Radiant awakening, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 10 Nov 2001–24 Feb 2002
The connoisseur and the philanthropist: 30 years of the Sternberg Collection of Chinese Art, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 31 Jan 2014–27 Apr 2014
Conversations through the Asian collections, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 25 Oct 2014–13 Mar 2016
Walking with gods, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 01 Jun 2019–05 Jan 2020

Bibliography

Referenced in 14 publications

Yin Cao, The Connoisseur and the Philanthropist: 30 years of the Sternberg Collection, 'Chinese Art', pg. 12-23, Sydney, 31 Jan 2014, 17 (colour illus.).
Edmund Capon, Look, 'The Arts of Asia', pg. 24, Heidelberg, Apr 1997, 24 (colour illus.).
Edmund Capon, The Connoisseur and the Philanthropist: 30 years of the Sternberg Collection, 'The connoisseur and the philanthropist: the creation of a collection', pg. 5-10, Sydney, 31 Jan 2014, 9 (colour illus.).
Joanna Capon, Art and Australia (Vol. 41, No. 4), 'Goldie Sternberg. Benefactor', pg. 618-620, Sydney, Jun 2004-Aug 2004, 618, 619 (colour illus.), 620.
Philip Constantinidi, 50 years of exhibitions: five masterpieces on loan from a pivate family collection, 27 October 2022 - 3 February 2023, 'The shows go on - 50 years of exhibitions at Eskenazi', pg 7-17, London, 2022, 11 & 17 (black and white illus.). pl. The gallery at 10 Clifford Street, 1993
Jonathan Cooper (Editor), The Art Gallery of New South Wales Bulletin, 'Exhibitions', pg. 10-17, Sydney, Apr 1995-May 1995, 14 (colour illus.).
Eskenazi Ltd Oriental Art, Early Chinese art from tombs and temples, London, Jun 1993, 120-123 (colour illus.). no. 42
Bruce James, Art Gallery of New South Wales handbook, 'Asian Collection: East Asia', pg. 246-287, Sydney, 1999, 248 (colour illus.).
Jackie Menzies (Editor), The Asian Collections Art Gallery of New South Wales, China 'Buddhist Art', Sydney, 2003, 92 (colour illus.), 92 (colour illus., reverse).
Jackie Menzies, TAASA Review, "Art Gallery of New South Wales", Sydney, Mar 1998, 9 (illus.).
Jackie Menzies (Editor), Buddha: Radiant awakening, Sydney, 2001, 162 (colour illus.), 188. cat.no. 119
Jackie Menzies, Look: 1953-2003 celebrating 50 years, 'Asian Treasures', pg. 57-59, Sydney, May 2003, 58 (colour illus.).
Saburo Matsubara, Chinese Buddhist sculpture: A study based on bronze and stone statues other than works from cave temples, Tokyo, colour illus.. pl. 82a, b and 83a.
LIU Yang, Orientations, 'The Discovery of Mass: A Footnote to the Stylistic and Iconographic Innovation in Chinese Buddhist Sculpture', pg. 88-95, Hong Kong, Sep 2000, 88 (colour illus.), 89 (colour illus.). fig.1, 1a (reverse), 1b (right side)

Provenance

1966, published in Saburo Matsubara, 'Chinese Buddhist sculpture: A study based on bronze and stone statues other than works from cave temples', Yoshikawa Kobunkan, Tokyo, 1966, plate 82a, b and 83a.

Amamiya Collection, pre 08 Jun 1993, Kyoto/Japan, as published in Eskenazi, 'Early Chinese art from tombs and temples', London, 1993.

Eskenazi Ltd Oriental Art, 08 Jun 1993-Jun 1995, London/England, exhibited in Early Chinese art from tombs and temples, London, 8 June-9 July 1993. Purchased by the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney.