Shankare clay is a small molded clay relief Buddha statue. It is mostly made in the Tang Dynasty. It is named after the words on the back of some Tang Dynasty Buddhist bricks, " Tang Dynasty Shankare clay, which is pressed so as to be like a wonderful color body" . All such small clay molded Buddha statues can also be collectively referred to as good karma clay statues (Figure 1).
▲Picture 1 Front and back rubbings of Shanye clay in the Tang Dynasty (published in "Zun Gu Zhai Tao Buddha Remains")
This kind of small molded Buddha statues appeared as early as the Northern Wei Dynasty. The Shanye clay in the Northern Wei and Western Wei Dynasties are generally larger than those in the Tang Dynasty. Among the Buddhist bricks from the Western Wei Dynasty, only one seated Sakyamuni Buddha is arranged. The Buddha sits in an arched niche with a high bun and a beautiful face. He wears a belt-style coat and has dense pleats on his feet. The shape is consistent with the Buddha statues of the Western Wei Dynasty in the Maijishan Grottoes. (Figure 2) . The earliest clay statues known to date with a clear date are the three Buddha statues built by Zheng Xing in the eighth year of Datong in the Western Wei Dynasty (542). A body of a "Buddha" was also unearthed from the tomb of Duguxin in the Northern Zhou Dynasty at Zhangdiwan, Xianyang. (Note 1) .
▲Picture 2 Buddha bricks of the Western Wei Dynasty (14 cm long, 9.4 cm wide)
Shankar statues gradually attracted people’s attention with the development of epigraphy after the Qianjia period of the Qing Dynasty. At the beginning of the 19th year of Daoguang's reign (1839), Liu Yanting came across Shankari Clay at Ci'en Temple in Xi'an, and later Bao Changxi copied it into "Gold and Stone Chips". This was the beginning of the recording of Shankari Clay. There are also pictures in "Shenzhou Guoguang Collection". Recently there is Huang Jun (Bochuan) collection of extensions "Zun Gu Zhai Tao Buddha Liu Zhen" (note 2) , collected dozens of good karma clays, the volume has Wu Xuzhai inscription and postscript:
"The clay statues of Shanye of the Tang Dynasty were often found under the Wild Goose Pagoda in the south of Chang'an City, and the monks of the temple were plowing the land. When Fang Bo Liu Yanting visited the Wild Goose Pagoda, he found more than ten kinds of complete statues, which had never been seen before. Yu Shixue Guanzhong , there are also two complete images and eight residual images, which is one of them. There is a preface to the Holy Religion of Chu and Henan under the tower. It is suspected that this statue was made by Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty. "
There are also Japanese Omura Nishiya "China Art History Sculpture Chapter" also contains several good clays, most of which were made in the Tang Dynasty (picture 3).
▲Figure 3 Seated Buddha statues in the Tang Dynasty (published in "China Art History Sculpture")
Since the 1950s, Shanye clay statues have been unearthed in Xi'an's Ximing Temple site, the Wenguo Temple site in Taipingfang (also known as the actual temple) site, and the Yiningfang Jishani Temple site (note 3) , especially famous for being unearthed near the Wild Goose Pagoda of Ci'en Temple. There is also the Qingming Temple's good karma clay, with sixteen characters on the back:
"The great karma of the Tang Dynasty, the master of the Qingming Temple, the Eightfold Righteousness, all sentient beings."
The current location of Qingming Temple is unknown. Mr. Chen Zhi believes that Qingming Temple is in Chang'an , but it is not found in " Chang'an Chronicles " (note 4). However, in the Ten Thousand Buddhas Cave, Lion Cave and Huoshao Cave of Longmen Grottoes, there are three statues of bhikshuni Bazheng of Qingming Temple. The title of the lion cave is the third year of Tang Yifeng (678) . Longmen Qingming Temple was a nun temple in the Tang Dynasty. Li Yukun believed that Bhikkhuni Bazheng and Shanye Ni Bazheng were the same monks. Qingming Temple was probably located in Luoyang (Note 5). In addition, Buddha statues and pagodas made from various molds were also found in the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang. (Note 6)
Shankari clay from the Tang Dynasty comes in different sizes and specifications, with styles including rectangular, square and semicircular upper parts like arched niches.The themes include sitting Buddha in meditation, seated Buddha preaching, sitting Buddha, standing Buddha, bones, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva , Guanyin Bodhisattva and Duobao Pagoda. is made by molding. Although it is made from the same mold, the picture clarity is not the same. There are a lot of good karma clays in the Tang Dynasty, but those with fine paintings, year names and vows are rare. (Figure 4-8).
▲Picture 4 Statue of Tang Shanye
▲Picture 5 Statue of Tang Shanye
▲Fig.6 Buddha’s Dharma Statue (length 8 cm, width 6.2 cm)
▲Picture 7 Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva statue (6.8 cm long, 5 cm wide)
▲Picture 8 Standing Buddha statue (length 7.5 cm, width 5.5 cm)
Mr. Chen Zhi once introduced the three products in the 8th issue of "Cultural Relics" in 1959:
1. In the first year of Yonghui (650), monk Zhixiang Temple built the Duobao Pagoda
This statue was unearthed from the ruins of the backyard of Baita Temple, fifty miles south of Xi'an, which was the site of Zhixiang Temple in the Tang Dynasty. There are seven lines of text on the back, each line has seven words, a total of forty-nine words. The text reads:
"The law of the monks of Xiangsi Temple in the Tang Dynasty has been built in the first year of Yonghui for the king, teachers, monks, parents, and the common people in the Dharma realm. Eighty-four thousand parts of the multi-treasure pagoda have been circulated and supported, and they will be remembered forever."
The front of the statue is a three-story Duobao pagoda, and the bottom floor is a double niche. Sakyamuni and Duobao Buddha sit side by side in it. The theme is "The Lotus Sutra of Wonderful Dharma" "Seeing the Pagoda" . According to the sutra, Sakyamuni Buddha preached the Lotus Sutra at Lingjiu Mountain . Suddenly, a pagoda containing the whole body relics of the Tathagata Many Treasures emerged from the ground and appeared in the air, praising Sakyamuni and certifying the Lotus Sutra. Sakyamuni was invited to enter the pagoda and sit with Many Treasures Buddha . The theme of Sakyamuni and Duobao Buddha sitting side by side first appeared in the Northern Wei Dynasty Grottoes statues. He also made a vow to "eighty-four thousand relics" as written in the text . This should be imitated by the Indian Asoka who built an 84,000 pagoda to store the Sakyamuni relics.
There is another Bhikkhu Law that created the Duobao Pagoda image at the same time. It has six lines, six characters per line, excluding spaces, a total of thirty-four characters. The text goes:
"In May of the Yonghui Year in the Great Hall, Bhikkhu Law of Zhixiang Temple made a lot of treasures for the teachers, monks, parents, and Buddhas as offerings and for the memory of all living beings in the Dharma Realm."
In the text, "lobby" should be a variation of "Datang" , and "Duobao Buddha" should also be written as "Duobao Buddha" . These two types of clay pagodas have the same composition, but there are slight differences in the detailed patterns. Tang Gaozong Li Zhi Yonghui period, from 650 to 655 AD.
In the middle of the clay statue is the Duobao Pagoda, with two Buddhas, Sakyamuni and Duobao, sitting side by side in niches. On both sides are a seated meditation statue of the Buddha, two standing statues of Bodhisattva and two divine generals protecting the Dharma. The blank space of the painting is filled with smallpox, which is a metaphor for the skylight falling when Sakyamuni Buddha is preaching, and the composition is extremely rich. (Figure 9)
▲Figure 9 Tang Yonghui Nian Shankar Clay
2. Su Changshi made clay for Indian Buddha statues
This clay is slightly semicircular, with a seated Sakyamuni statue in the center (there is also a standing image) . The right hand is pointing to the ground to make a demon subduing seal, and the left hand is placed on the knee. There is a standing statue of Bodhisattva on the left and right. 10, 11) , the text is:
"Indian Buddha statues were jointly created by Su Changshi of the Tang Dynasty and others" .
▲Picture 10 Su Changshi made an Indian Buddha statue
▲Picture 11 Su Changshi made a rubbing of an Indian Buddha statue.
It is worth noting that this clay statue specifically states "Indian Buddha statue" , indicating that the Buddha statue was directly copied from a sample imported from India. Judging from the Buddha's appearance, he wears a coat with his right shoulder exposed, has spiral hair, and has extremely plump and broad shoulders. Other clay statues of the Tang Dynasty are generally fat and thin at the shoulders, not as plump as the Su-made clay statues. The coat has no pattern, only the edge line is made on the collar, and the edge line of the skirt is also slightly carved on the legs. Judging from this shape, it is directly inherited from the style of Buddha statues made in Sarnath, India. Sarnath is located in the middle and lower reaches of the Ganges River, and the place where Buddha attained enlightenment Sarnath is nearby. During the Gupta period (approximately 320 to 600 years) this kind of Buddha statues without clothing patterns made mainly by Sarnath was extremely popular. The Buddha statues made in the famous Ajanta Caves between the 4th and 6th centuries were almost without exception this type of Buddha statues without clothing patterns. The throne with a square backrest on this clay statue is also commonly used on Sarnath Buddha statues, which is the so-called "Vajra Throne". The reason why Indian Buddha statues are specifically highlighted is because people at that time believed that the popular Buddha statue styles had deviated from the standard styles from India and were gradually Chinese. They were Chinese-style Buddha statues. Therefore, this authentic Indian style was highly respected by people at the time.
The donor was Su Changshi, Mr. Chen Zhi was identified as the eunuch Yang Sixu. This clay statue was also made during the period of Zhongzong to Wu Zetian (around 684). " Old Tang Book " "The Biography of the Eunuch Yang Sixu" records that Yang's surname was Su, and he was from Shicheng, Luozhou. He was raised by the Yang family in the inner palace. Doctor Qingguang Lu, a regular attendant in the industry, was added as a general of hussars in the twelfth year of Kaiyuan (724), and was granted the title of Duke of Guo. He died in the twenty-eighth year of Kaiyuan (740), and was over eighty years old. In 1959, an epitaph for Yang Sixu was unearthed in the eastern suburbs of Xi'an. It was carved in the 28th year of Kaiyuan. The text reads: Gongtao Si Xu, also named Youzhi, was a native of Shicheng, Luozhou. Yang Sixu believes in Buddhism and has done a lot of good deeds. In October of the twelfth year of Kaiyuan, in order to thank the Duke of Guo for his kindness, a stone statue of Maitreya Buddha was carved in the Qibao Terrace of Guangzhai Temple built by Wu Zetian, with the inscription of Yanghua Terrace of Guo Guogong and the preface. This is one of the famous stone sculptures of Baoqing Temple and is now in the collection of Tokyo National Museum (see the picture in my "Illustrated Dictionary of Buddhist Statues in Chinese Past Dynasties") .
This sample of Indian Buddha statues was probably brought back from India by master Xuanzang. Master XuanzangMaster Xuanzang returned to Chang'an in honor of the fifteenth year of Zhenguan (641), and brought back seven Buddha statues, among which was the statue of the first turning of the Dharma wheel in Deer Park, Parana. Although this statue has long since disappeared, based on the style of Buddhist statues unearthed in the Sarnath area of India at the same time, it can be inferred that it should be the undressed Buddha statue that was popular at that time. Xuanzang Master since the 22nd year of Zhenguan (648 years) later moved to Ci'en Temple in Chang'an and built the Big Wild Goose Pagoda to store the Buddhist scriptures, relics and Buddha statues brought back from India. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda will inevitably become a place of worship for believers at that time, and the Buddha statues brought back from India will naturally become standard samples of statues and paintings. Su Changshi The origin of the clay statue is unknown, but it was probably unearthed near the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. It can also be said that the style of the Su Changshi Indian clay statue was probably based on the style of the Buddha statue invited back by Master Xuanzang. In addition to this clay statue, there are many other clay statues with the words "The good karma clay of the Tang Dynasty is pressed like a wonderful color body" printed on the back. Some of the Buddha's attire also belong to this kind of undressed Buddha statues with bare right shoulders. Mr. Chen Zhi also believes that they are from the early Tang Dynasty. It can be inferred that the popularity of this style is related to the Indian Buddha statues brought back by Master Xuanzang.
It is worth noting that there are four verses in the lower part of this image, which read:
"All dharmas arise from conditions, and the Tathagata says this is the cause; all dharmas cease from conditions, Said by the Great Samana. "
This verse is also known as "Dharmakaya verse" . It is derived from Dharma chants and Dharma relics. There are many translations, and the words are slightly different. This verse is a verse about the three truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path of suffering, among the Four Noble Truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path. This verse is written or engraved on paper, cloth or clay, and placed at the base of the pagoda, inside the pagoda or in the belly of the Buddha statue. It is called the Dharmakaya Relic verse (Figure 12).
▲Picture 12 Dharmakaya verse on the bricks of Liao Pagoda in Yunju Temple, Fangshan, Beijing
From the Dharmakaya verse we can also understand the function of good karma clay. Tang Yijing "Nanhai Zhigui Neifazhuan" (Note 8 ) also records:
"Make clay to make bases and mold clay statues, or print silk paper, and offer them everywhere, or accumulate them and support them with bricks to form a pagoda. Or leave them in the open field and let them scatter. Western customs and customs all make this a career. They also make images and make bases, paint bricks and stones with gold, silver, copper, iron mud, or gather sand. Snow. When it is done, two kinds of relics are placed in the center, one is the body and bones of the master, and the other is the chant of Dependent Origination. Its hymn says: All dharmas arise from conditions. The Tathagata says this is the cause. The causes and conditions of those dharmas have ceased. This is what the great ascetic said. "
in the text "making the bottom" is the pagoda. Also Yijing is in " Biography of Eminent Monks Seeking Dharma in the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty" (note 9) It is also recorded in :
"Zen Master Sengzhe, a native of Lizhou,... visited the country of Samathama after a brief tour and returned to East India. The king's name was Luoshe Bazha. The king deeply respected the Three Jewels... One hundred thousand clay statues are made every day."
It can be seen that the clay Buddha statues are "good karma clay" , and its custom was passed down from India. There are also clay Buddha statues and clay pagodas made by mixing the ashes of cremated monks after their death. Notes on "Changlefang Zhao Jinggong Temple" (note 10) :
"There are three buckets and four liters of relics under the pagoda. When the pagoda was moved... relics were found all over the ground. The ladies did not dare to practice them and went out of the temple. It is a duty to protect the public. Nearly 100,000 small clay pagodas and wooden pagodas were built and buried, and tens of thousands of them are still alive today. "
These are small clay pagodas or small wooden pagodas made for collecting relics, so small clay pagodas from the Tang Dynasty can still be seen occasionally. Small clay statues with Indian Buddha inscriptions are common, and some have standing Buddha images on the front (Figures 13 and 14), which are different from seated statues.
▲Picture 13 Su Changshi made an Indian Buddha statue
▲Picture 14 Su Changshi made an Indian Buddha statue
3. Su Changshi and others jointly made an Indian bone statue
. This statue has a round top and a square bottom, which is slightly smaller than the aforementioned Indian Buddha statue made by Su Changshi.. The front is in the shape of a standing human skeleton, and the back also has the inscription "Indian Buddha statues were created by Su Changshi of the Tang Dynasty and others" . Because the front image is a white bone image, which is different from the previous image, so the author calls it this. This image is quite rare. The standing skeleton is only symbolic and slightly caricatured. There are four cloud-like patterns around the skeleton. (Picture 15)
▲Picture 15 Su Changshi made a white bone statue
The white bone statue is one of the nine methods of Buddhist . The Nine Visions Contemplation is also called the Nine Phases and the Nine Visions Gate, which means nine visualizations of the ugly appearance of a human corpse:
skeleton are supposed to symbolize the "four major" . According to " The Sutra of Perfect Awakening" , the four elements refer to the human body formed by the combination of the four elements of earth, water, fire and wind. These are all delusions. If one can realize that the nature of these four elements is also empty and false, they will eventually return to emptiness and are not permanent and unchangeable. Therefore, one can also realize that all things have no entity. In the past, people also said that seeing through the worldly phenomena such as fame and wealth, life and death, was called "the four major things are empty".
Shankar statues began to attract the attention of epigraphers in the late Qing Dynasty, and counterfeits were also produced at this time. In the "Zun Gu Zhai Pottery Buddha Remains True", many clay statues are forgeries, such as the clay statue in the first year of Wei Xiaochang (525), which has a seated Buddha statue in a niche, a coat with the right shoulder uncovered, a hand-made Dharma seal, and a pattern of treasures below the niche. The size is larger than that of Tang clay statues, so it is more appropriately called Buddha Brick (Figure 16). It should be a real Buddha brick with a Northern Wei Dynasty fake model engraved on it.
▲ Figure 16 Clay statue of the first year of Xiaochang (authentic and engraved fake version)
Analysis from the style of the statue and the handed down products. This statue was made from the Northern Qi to the Sui Dynasty. There are still many handed down products with the same style (picture) 17) , but there is no text on the back.
▲Figure 17 Buddhist bricks from the Northern Qi Dynasty to the Sui Dynasty (17.2 cm long, 14 cm wide)
There are also several genuine clay statues with fake inscriptions, such as the so-called "Tao Fo Liu Zhen" collection "Wu Tiancheng built the Buddha in the first year of Taihe in the Tang Dynasty" . The inscribed strokes are clumsy and vulgar. In addition, there is no "Taihe" year number in the Tang Dynasty. It can be seen at a glance that it is a forgery carved later. There is also "Buddha Statue from the Second Year of Dazhong in the Tang Dynasty" . The font is weak, but the clay statue itself is authentic. Da Cun Xiya "China Art History Sculpture Chapter" (Note 11) also contains an authentic and fake clay statue, with the inscription on the back "On June 10, the first year of Zhenguan in the Tang Dynasty, Su Ying, a Buddhist disciple, made the first area of tile statues." (Figure 18) . Looking at the Buddhist statues and vows of the past dynasties, they usually name the statues of a certain Buddha or a certain Bodhisattva. In the Northern Qi Dynasty, they liked to call white marble statues "jade statues" . There was no such thing as a Buddha statue called a tile statue because of the texture of the bricks and tiles used for the statues.The important thing is that there are Yang characters on the clay statues, because it is easy to make Yin characters on the mold. If the clay statue is in Yin script, the mold must be in Yang script, which is quite difficult to operate. Based on this, it can also be proved that the inscription is a forgery inscribed later. Judging from the pattern of this statue, it is one Buddha and two Bodhisattvas that were common in the Tang Dynasty. The author has seen several clay statues of this kind (see Figure 5), but none of them have inscriptions on the back, so it can be seen that fake inscriptions were added to the genuine ones.
▲Picture 18 Genuine good karma clay and counterfeit model on the back (see Picture 5 for the genuine article)
(This article was originally published in "Collector" Issue 6, 1995.)
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