International studio (80.1925)

mceRnACionAL

early in the Christian era, it was
only in the fourth century that
the new religion took actual root.

The correct thing to say at
this juncture is that Chinese
sculpture of the period with
which we are concerned showed
strongly the influence of Indian
art and through it of the Graco-
Roman art.

Alexander the Great's con-
quest of India and constant
communication with the West
through succeeding centuries
had modified the native art of
that country and given it at
least two qualities which we
usually think of as distinctly
Greek: nobility of pose and flow-
ing drapery. But before this
wave had reached China, it had
gone through southern India
and Ceylon and the Buddhist
images brought to China by thc
missionaries bore unmistakable
evidences of their journey
through the south. Faces had
grown heavier and not quite so
gracious; drapery had become
more rigid, less fluid in line and
the original nobility of pose had
set in a somewhat formal mold.
As Buddhism gained in pop-

HEAD OF A BODHISATTVA IN BASALT WEI-TARTAR DYNASTY ularity in Cllilia, tllC SCllIptOrS

began to model figures of the

days, decided later in his career that only by new religion but most of their productions, at
repeating the experience could he approach Nir- least to the middle of the fifth century, were
vana. It is scarcely to be wondered at that a figures in bronze, sandalwood or terra-cotta, few
religion with such a prophet should, when it had of which have survived the many wars and perse-
been adopted by the Chinese, express itself in cutions of the Middle Ages. The few that do sur-
images of very definitely human charm with a vive show plainly that the Chinese sculptors of
warm, smiling appeal. the first four centuries treated their new gods
Of Buddhism in India, whence the Chinese with all the respect due to strangers and guests,
imported it, we need only say that its first great It would be impious to make a brand new, bor-
schism divided it into two sects one of which, the rowed deity look like a native son; and so the
Hinyana, retained all the austerity of the original figures are awful rather than gracious; distant,
creed; the other of which, the Mahayana, relaxed impersonal and fearful. In the early days of
and expanded this creed into a more human belief Buddhism in India, the Lord Buddha was never
that life is built up on the happiness of all living represented by an image; only the Bodhisattvas
things and that man should aspire to live so that took on human form. But this ban had been
at some future creation he may become a Buddha, removed long before Buddhism reached China.
It was this more liberal form of Buddhism which On a sixth-century stele there is an inscription
brought into China from India the images of its which says: "The Supreme is incorporal but by
faith; and these images were the beginnings of means of images, it is brought before our eyes."
Buddhistic sculpture in China. Although there However, piety still balked at any natural repre-
are records of Buddhistic missionaries in China sentation and modeled drapery and headdresses

two ninety-four

JANUARY I925