REVIEW ON THE BUDDHIST METAL SCULPTURES OF PATAN MUSEUM – PART 1

Akshyobhya Buddha and Nimbus with Pancha Buddha 

Akshyobhya Buddha, Red Brass with Gold Plated, ca. 12th C.E.

The sculptures of Akshobya Buddha and Nimbus with Pancha Buddha are showcased at Gallery E of Patan Museum. Akshobya Buddha is made of gold plated red brass, which is 24.6 cm high and is dated ca.12^th C.E. from Nepal. The sculpture represents Thakuri style (late Lichcchavi style) of Medieval Nepal. Likewise, the high relief Nimbus (Prabhamndal) kept behind the Akshyobhya Buddha is made out of gold plated copper sheet with painted red pigment. It is 22cm high and is dated ca.17^th /18^th C.E. from Nepal. The Buddhist Iconography refers that Akshyobhya is one of the embodiments of Pancha Buddha, which is also recognized as five transcendent Buddhas (Dhyani Buddhas) and Tathagatas. They are all characterized as seated on a bloomed lotus and in the meditative posture (Vajraparyankasan or Vajrasan or Dhyanasan or Padmasan) with the right leg crossing over the left leg. These five transcendent Buddhas are essentials to the Vajrayana and Mahayana Buddhist principles. Also they are positioned to the four sides and the centre of Chaitya as the representation of the Buddhist cosmos, where Akshyobhya Buddha is always facing east cardinal position in the earth touching gesture (Bhumisparsha Mudra). The symbol of Akshyobhya Buddha is a Thunderbolt (Vajra) and the conveyance is an Elephant (Gajaraj). And it always represents with blue character in painting.

  The round shaped sculpture of Akshyobhya Buddha with golden complexion displaying in Patan Museum is incredibly well proportioned that features its head with round petite cranial protuberance (Ushnisha) with plenty of tiny conch shape hairs painted through natural blue pigment; the oval shaped face bears half opened (Ardhaunmilan) eyes, a circle of hair (Urna) on forehead, a long nose, wide lips, and elongated earlobes, which performs the serenity of Tathagata with the mind utterly drawn inwards in ideal meditation.  Its neck seems stout with three semi-circular necklines and the triangular composition of the body seems muscular with wide shoulder and delicately torso, however the waist of its body is slender as a feminine character. It wears the apparel (Uttarasanga) from the left shoulder to the legs leaving just the right arm and the chest bare, fitting the body like skin in translucent style with the graceful bends of its vaguely lifted up hem and trimly creased upper border (Chibar) as well as lower border (Antaravasaka), which emphasizes and intensifies the vigour of the figure. The right hand of it is resting on the right knee with the palm drawn inward and its finger tips are touching the earth whereas the left hand is resting on its lap with the palm drawn upward. The slenderer fingers are poise balanced with delicately bent and genuinely shaped. Here, the sculpture is seated in meditative posture with the right leg crossing over the left leg, where the sole of both feet are turned upwards. The toes of both feet appear to shine with liveliness so as to itinerary throughout its form. The pedestal of the sculpture is projected in triangular round shape with double tired lavish lotus, where the upper tired lotus is drawn upwards and lower tired lotus is drawn downwards. The petite spheres in a straight row on the top of the pedestal represent the anther of the blooming flower while the semi-round solid row in the bottom represents the orbit of the earth. On the top of pedestal and in front of Antaravasaka, there seems a Vajra, which is the symbol of Akshyobhya Buddha. If there is an absence of the Vajra in same figure of Buddha and comes unaccompanied from five transcendent Buddhas, the figure should be considered as Shakyamuni Buddha as per the Iconography.

  Originally, highly relief Nimbus (Prabhamandal) presented here with golden character was not a piece of this sculpture that is kept back the figure of Akshyobhya Buddha. However, it matches with the collected sculpture of Akshyobhya Buddha by the museum and displayed both pieces in a single showcase. Perhaps the original figure presented with this Nimbus was missing placed by some reasons. The analytical study of the sculptural characteristics of both figures of Akshobhya Buddha and The Nimbus with Pancha Buddha make apparent that they are not from same piece and period since the characteristic of the Nimbus projects the style from Malla Period. Here, the Nimbus in arch shape portrays the figures of Five Transcendent Buddhas, which are arranged in continues clockwise around the centre from the left bottom to the right bottom are Amoghsiddhi Buddha, Akshyobhya Buddha, Amitabh Buddha, Vairochan Buddha and Ratnasambhav Buddha respectively. They are all seated on bloomed lotus in the meditative posture with the right leg crossing over the left leg. Also they are characterized with wearing the ornaments like crown (Mukut), earring (Kundal), necklace (Kanthahar), armlet (Keyur) and bangle (Bala) on their body. Here, the hand gesture of Amoghsiddhi Buddha seems rare since it is reversed as its right hand is in earth touching gesture (Bhumisparsha Mudra) and left hand is in Abhaya Mudra that shows the protection with fearlessness path of Boddhisattva, whereas Amoghsiddhi Buddha usually performs its hand gesture with its right hand in Abhaya Mudra and left hand lies upward on the lap according to its Iconography. Similarly, the hand gesture of Akshyobhya Buddha carries out with the right hand is in earth touching pose and the left hand is resting on its lap with the palm drawn upward. Likewise, Amitabh Buddha exhibits here its right hand upon the left hand resting on the lap by showing the palm upward forming the meditative gesture, where as the hand gesture of Vairochan Buddha performs Dharmachakra Mudra or Bodhyangi Mudra in which its both hands are detained next to the chest by combining both thumb tips of each hand with the right palm outwards from its chest and the left palm inwards to its chest. The background of the Nimbus is completely occupied with the elaborated tendrils drawn out from all five lotuses, where the figures of Pancha Buddha are positioned. The tendrils are composed in circular shape with symmetrically balanced in both side of the Nimbus, where red pigment is applied into the depth of the tendrils to create the visual contrast between its surfaces. These tendrils and figures of Pancha Buddha are bordered with floral pattern in the outer edge of the Nimbus and in the middle of Nimbus, there is rectangular shaped depth that is surrounded by same floral pattern in miniature aspect with encircled by petite spheres in between two smoothed lines.

  Technically, these two sculptures from several periods were fabricated in two diverse techniques, even if they are both consciously considered as Metal Art. The sculpture of Akshyobhya Buddha was formed by applying Lost Wax Casting (Si Lhoka Dhaleyayegu) Method; in which the sculptor first creates the image on wax and prepares the mould of it. Later, the mould bakes in certain temperature to eliminate the wax and the moisture from the mould. Then the molten metal pours into the empty cavity of the mould, which has to break opens after it cools to expose the desire image in metal. However, the sculpture of Nimbus with Pancha Buddha was sculpted through Repoussé (Thwojya – Majya) Method; in which the sculptor directly creates the desire forms on metal sheet by hammering in facilitation of various iron made tools and equipments. Comparatively, cast metal sculpture is always heavier than sheet metal sculpture. That’s why; cast metal sculpture is long lasting than the sheet metal sculpture.

  The rotten gold on the sculpture of Akshyobhya Buddha’s face, right hand, left knee and a few portions of the pedestal shows antiquity of its period. The characteristic of the sculpture reflects the combined influence of Gupta style of Ancient India and Pala Style of Medieval India, which were the contemporary of Lichchhavi School of Ancient and Early Medieval Nepal. There had been started over to convey Nepali Buddhist sculptures to Tibet from Nepal as well as anonymous Nepali sculptors and artisans had walked off to Tibet for the artistic projects under the official patronage of Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo (Srong-brtsan-sgam-po) after marriage with Nepali Princess Bhrikuti during 7^th C.E. (Bajrachrya, 2008, p 51). Therefore, the characteristic of this sculpture of Akshyobhya Buddha is comparable with 11^th/12^th C.E. brass sculpture of Shakyamuni Buddha in collection of the Zimmerman Family borught from Western Tibet (img: Rhie & Thurman,1991, p. 74) to endorse the powerful influence of Lichchhavi Style of Nepal in Tibetan Art.

  There has been already stated that the sculptures of Akshobhya Buddha and The Nimbus with Pancha Buddha are not from same piece and period since the characteristic of the Nimbus projects the Malla style, which was developed in Nepal during Malla reign since 12^th C.E. to 18^th C.E. The exaggerated forms of the background and less precision in the proportion and finishing of the figure in the Nimbus show the characteristics of Malla School of Nepali Art. The Five Transcendent Buddhas are arranged likewise rotating in this Nimbus, where the main figure is missing. According to the Buddhist Iconography, these Five Transcendent Buddhas were originated by Vajradhara, one of the primordial monotheistic Buddhas (Ādibuddha) as five cosmic elements (Skandhas), which are Form (Rūpa), Sensation (Vedanā), Name (Saṁjñā), Conformation (Saṅskāra) and Consciousness (Vijñāna) (Bhattacharyya, 1987, p.42). Vajradhara is one of the significant doctrines of Vajrayana and Mahayana Buddhism in Nepal. Therefore, it can be assumed that the missing figure of the Nimbus with Pancha Buddha might be of Vajradhara.

Note

The dimensions of the sculptures are taken from the book Patan Museum Guide due to the inappropriate circumstances to re-measure the objects showcasing in the glass interior for security purpose.

Image Source

The photograph from Patan Museum by Tejesh Man Shakya

Bibliography

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© All rights reserved by the Author Shanti L. S. Bajracharya

RESEARCH DIRECTOR

TEJESH MAN SHAKYA