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4. Buddha Sakyamuni Vietnam, Funan 4th c. Mu-u wood, height 119 cm. |
The historical figure, Siddhartha Gautama – Buddha Sakyamuni – is the Buddha of compassion who, having achieved the highest evolutionary perfection, turns suffering into happiness for all living beings. Born around 560 BCE between the hills of south Nepal and the Rapti river, his father was a Raja who ruled over the northeastern province of India, the district of the holy Ganges river. The young prince was married to Yashoda when he was about seventeen years old and they had a son named Rahula. At the age of twenty-nine, he left his life of luxury, as he felt compelled to purify his body and make it an instrument of the mind by ridding himself of earthly impulses and temptations. Attaining the liberated state of enlightenment, Siddhartha became Buddha. Buddha is depicted in an upright standing pose on a circular lotusthrone throne. The large lotusleaves symbolize purity and spiritual perfection. His right hand is raised in abhayamudra, the gesture of protection and fearlessness. He is dressed in a classical uttarasangha, a monk’s robe, which covers his body. Curls cover his head and ushnisha, the symbol that denotes wisdom. The elongated earlobes, caused by the wearing of heavy earrings in his youth, reflect his royal origins. Funan was one of the first important empires in Southeast Asia. Founded in the first century CE by Indian emigrants it was situated in the Mekong delta, on territory now partly in Cambodia and partly in South Vietnam. It was considerable in extent and from it emerged the great states of the Indochinese Peninsula and their art forms. As early as the third century, Chinese chronicles mention the Funan empire and describe it as a great maritime power whose suzerainty was already established over the neighbouring territories. The name ‘Funan’ is a transcription of an old Khmer word meaning “King of the Mountain”, probably applied to the sovereign of the country. Although few vestiges of wooden architecture remain, certain statues have survived thanks to the quality of their material, which has resisted the ravages of the elements. Both the figure and pedestal of this standing Buddha have been carved from a single block of calophyllum insophyllum wood, known as Mu-u in Vietnamese, to produce a typical example of the classical Funan style. The cloak clinging to the body is a characteristic of the Gupta style that had a prominent influence on the earliest Buddha images created in Southeast Asia. This fine and impressive sculpture is an important icon of early Buddhist art, and is among the rare carvings known in this significant early style of the Mekong delta. The harmonious flow of volumes enhances the intense and majestic presence of this wooden image. The subtle movement of the uttarasangha increases the lively tension, while the natural wear and tear of centuries creates a beautiful weathered surface and complements this magnificent work of early Buddhist art. It evokes a feeling of dignity and the majesty of the sacred. Art Loss Register Certificate, Reference S00003679. L. Frédéric, The Temples and Sculpture of Southeast Asia, Thames and Hudson, London, 1965, p.241, n°248. Vietnam, cong-nguyen Buddha, 4th century, National Museum, Saigon. J.C.M. Khoo, Art & Archaeology of Fu Nan. Pre-Khmer Kingdom of the lower Mekong Valley, Bangkok, 2003, p.44, n°II-8. Wooden figure of Buddha, style of Amaravati, dated 200 CE, An Giang Museum and standing hardwood figure of Budda, excavated at Dong Thap, height 40 cm. |