10
Early Buddhist Wood Carvings from Himachal Pradesh Christian Luczanits M ost of the mediaeval (tenth to four- teenth century) temples in the west- ern Himalayas contain wood carvings as part of their decoration. The quality of these carvings is, however, quite differ- ent from place to place, and they may range from simple volutes on the capitals to elaborate door frames with an exten- sive iconographic programme. Free- standing sculptures and reliefs made of wood are also found in these temples. The importance of these carvings, and especially those in the earliest Buddhist monuments in the western Himalayas, in terms of both art and cultural history, was already noted by Giuseppe Tucci earlier this century (Tucci, 1935, pp. 89-90; 1973, pp. 92-93). However, since the publication of the wooden portals of Serkhang temple at Tholing monastery in the western part of what is now the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) of the Peo- ple's Republic of China (Tucci, 1973, fig. 136; Klimburg-Salter, 1988, figs 1-3), Kojamath monastery in the valley of Pu- rang, south of Lake Manasarowar (TAR) (Tucci, Santi e Briganti nel Tibet 19noto, Milan, 1937) and Alchi monastery in pre- sent-day Ladakh (Tucci, 1973, figs 133- 35, 138 [wrongly attributed to Tsa- parang) and 139), as well as a small number of other pieces of relief carving and sculpture (Francke, 1914; Tucci, 1973 and others), very few other wood carvings from the western Himalayas have been made public. The earliest Buddhist wood carvings published to date have been attributed to the time of the Kings of Purang-Guge, who from the tenth to the twelfth century ruled the area comprising the Ngari re- gion (TAR), and the Spiti valley and up- per Kinnaur (both in today's Himachal Pradesh). Established by a descendant of the royal clan of Central Tibet, the Pu- rang-Guge kingdom witnessed a flour- ishing of Buddhism under the strong sup- port of King Yeshe b (959-1036) and his great-nephew Changchub b (Byang- chub-'od) in particular. Together with the most eminent lama of their time, the lotsaba (translator) Rinchen Zangpo (958-1055), they are said to have founded most of the earliest Buddhist temples and monasteries in the region. In Tibetan history, this period covers part of the later or Second Propagation of Bud- dhism (phyi-dar). (For a more detailed historical account of this kingdom see Klimburg-Salter, 'A Decorated Prajna- paramita Manuscript from Poo', Orien- tations, June 1994, pp. 54-60). The purpose of this article is to intro- duce comparable Buddhist wood carv- ings recently discovered at various loca- tions in Kinnaur and Spiti. Of special interest among the newly documented carvings is the decoration of a small but unique single-celled structure in Ribba in central Kinnaur - the Lotsaba Ihakhang (Translator's Temple). The name refers to Rinchen Zangpo, but, despite its name, this temple apparently predates the rule of the kings of Purang-Guge. Omitted from this discussion are the carvings from Ladakh, including those of Alchi and related monuments, which require a separate study because of their different historical context. (Fig. I) Lintel Kojamalh monaslery. Purang. Tibet Autonomous Region Purang-Guge kingdom. late 10th century Wood Pholography by J. Poncar. 1993 W hile the wooden portal of Serkhang temple at Tholing has disappeared, the one at Kojamath is, besides damage inflicted during the Cultural Revolution (1966-76), still preserved (Figs I and 2). Due to a lack of evidence to the contrary, it is generally supposed that both portals date to the period of the foundation of these two monastic complexes by Yeshe b at the end of the tenth century. The portals thus serve provisionally in this article as a key to dating comparable wood carvings. One unique and hitherto unknown wood carving can still be seen in Shal- khar, a village a few kilometres north- west of the village of Chango in upper Kinnaur. A.H. Francke (1914, p. 35), who called this village Kyahar, mentions that its monastery is connected by local tradition with Rinchen Zangpo. He was unable to see it himself, however. The monastery was unfortunately destroyed in an earthquake in 1975, and only a few carvings and some manuscripts remind one today of this once important centre 67

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Page 1: Christian Luczanitsluczanits.net/pdf/Luczanits 1996 WoodCarving.pdf · Early Buddhist Wood Carvings from Himachal Pradesh Christian Luczanits Most ofthe mediaeval (tenth to four teenth

Early Buddhist Wood Carvings fromHimachal Pradesh

Christian Luczanits

Most of the mediaeval (tenth to four­teenth century) temples in the west­

ern Himalayas contain wood carvings aspart of their decoration. The quality ofthese carvings is, however, quite differ­ent from place to place, and they mayrange from simple volutes on the capitalsto elaborate door frames with an exten­sive iconographic programme. Free­standing sculptures and reliefs made ofwood are also found in these temples.The importance of these carvings, andespecially those in the earliest Buddhistmonuments in the western Himalayas, interms of both art and cultural history, wasalready noted by Giuseppe Tucci earlierthis century (Tucci, 1935, pp. 89-90;1973, pp. 92-93). However, since thepublication of the wooden portals ofSerkhang temple at Tholing monastery inthe western part of what is now the TibetAutonomous Region (TAR) of the Peo­ple's Republic of China (Tucci, 1973, fig.136; Klimburg-Salter, 1988, figs 1-3),Kojamath monastery in the valley of Pu­rang, south of Lake Manasarowar (TAR)

(Tucci, Santi e Briganti nel Tibet 19noto,Milan, 1937) and Alchi monastery in pre­sent-day Ladakh (Tucci, 1973, figs 133­35, 138 [wrongly attributed to Tsa­parang) and 139), as well as a smallnumber of other pieces of relief carvingand sculpture (Francke, 1914; Tucci,1973 and others), very few other woodcarvings from the western Himalayashave been made public.

The earliest Buddhist wood carvingspublished to date have been attributed tothe time of the Kings of Purang-Guge,who from the tenth to the twelfth centuryruled the area comprising the Ngari re­gion (TAR), and the Spiti valley and up­per Kinnaur (both in today's HimachalPradesh). Established by a descendant ofthe royal clan of Central Tibet, the Pu­rang-Guge kingdom witnessed a flour­ishing of Buddhism under the strong sup­port of King Yeshe b (959-1036) and hisgreat-nephew Changchub b (Byang­chub-' od) in particular. Together with themost eminent lama of their time, thelotsaba (translator) Rinchen Zangpo

(958-1055), they are said to havefounded most of the earliest Buddhisttemples and monasteries in the region. InTibetan history, this period covers part ofthe later or Second Propagation of Bud­dhism (phyi-dar). (For a more detailedhistorical account of this kingdom seeKlimburg-Salter, 'A Decorated Prajna­paramita Manuscript from Poo', Orien­tations, June 1994, pp. 54-60).

The purpose of this article is to intro­duce comparable Buddhist wood carv­ings recently discovered at various loca­tions in Kinnaur and Spiti. Of specialinterest among the newly documentedcarvings is the decoration of a small butunique single-celled structure in Ribba incentral Kinnaur - the Lotsaba Ihakhang(Translator's Temple). The name refersto Rinchen Zangpo, but, despite its name,this temple apparently predates the ruleof the kings of Purang-Guge. Omittedfrom this discussion are the carvingsfrom Ladakh, including those of Alchiand related monuments, which require aseparate study because of their differenthistorical context.

(Fig. I) LintelKojamalh monaslery. Purang. Tibet Autonomous RegionPurang-Guge kingdom. late 10th centuryWoodPholography by J. Poncar. 1993

W hile the wooden portal of Serkhangtemple at Tholing has disappeared,

the one at Kojamath is, besides damageinflicted during the Cultural Revolution(1966-76), still preserved (Figs I and 2).Due to a lack of evidence to the contrary,it is generally supposed that both portalsdate to the period of the foundation ofthese two monastic complexes by Yesheb at the end of the tenth century. Theportals thus serve provisionally in thisarticle as a key to dating comparablewood carvings.

One unique and hitherto unknownwood carving can still be seen in Shal­khar, a village a few kilometres north­west of the village of Chango in upperKinnaur. A.H. Francke (1914, p. 35),who called this village Kyahar, mentionsthat its monastery is connected by localtradition with Rinchen Zangpo. He wasunable to see it himself, however. Themonastery was unfortunately destroyedin an earthquake in 1975, and only a fewcarvings and some manuscripts remindone today of this once important centre

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(Fig. 2) Delail of t1oorposlKojarnalh monastery. Purang.Tibel Aulonomous RegionPumng-Guge kingtlom.lale )Oth cenluryWootlPholography hy J. Poncar. 1993

(Fig..1) Capi"'lShalkharlelllpk. upper Kinnallr. Hilllachal PratleshPurang-Guge kingtlolll. lale IOlh/early Illh cenluryWootlHeighl .12 Clll. width 90 Clll. t1eplh 23 CIll

(Fig. 3a) Delail of capital in Figure 3showing figure of Avalokileshvara

68

of Buddhism. One such piece, a carvedwooden capital from the original monas­tery in a miraculously good state of pres­ervation, is still in use today in the re­stored temple (Fig. 3). On the shortersides, a lion stands on the head of anelephant, both of which are depictedfrontally. The main images on its longsides are of Avalokiteshvara (Fig. 3a) andpossibly Jambhala, the god of wealth(Fig. 3b). While Avalokiteshvara is de­picted within a lotus flower, Jambhala (?)is surrounded by an architectural frame.Double columns, similar to those foundat Kojamath and as part of the frames ofthe seated images on the door of theLotsaba Ihakhang of Ribba (see below),support a rounded arch with two lobes atthe sides. The frame culminates in a geo­metrical pinnacle with long, nearly hori­zontal streamers. This arch framing theJambhala (?) image has its nearest com­parison in two well-known wood carv­ings found at Tabo (Ta-pho) monastery inthe Spiti valley (which, in the biographyof Rinchen Zangpo, is mentioned as oneof his twenty-one lesser foundations),each with a standing Buddha in the centre(Francke, pI. XVIII; Tucci, 1935, pIsXLVI and XLVII; 1973, pI. 129). In thepieces from Tabo, a gabled roof, in onecase with birds, has been added above thearch. On the other hand, this authorknows of no piece in the Buddhist art ofthe region similar to the Avalokiteshvaraencircled by a lotus. The motif itself, andits position at the top of a pillar, goes backto the fifth to seventh century caves atAjanta and Ellora in India. The majorchange consists only in the form of thelotus petals.

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(Fig. 3b) Detail of capital in Figure 3 showing Iigure of lambhala (?)

(Fig. 4) Detail of door fragment showing bodhisattva in rondelTaba monastery, Spili, Himachal PradeshPurang-Guge kingdom, late IOlhlearly II th centuryWood

and streamers at the side, a dhoti. andboots that reach just below the knee. Hehas a large stomach with a thick foldabove it and sits in relaxed fashion (tali­tasana) on a cushion tied with a thickcord. The mongoose that would havebeen in the left hand - if the figure isJambhala - has broken off, and thus theidentification of the image remains un­certain. Also, the unusual way in whichhe holds his second attribute, which in afigure of Jambhala would be a lemon, ona stalk in his right hand, adds furtherdoubt to the figure's identity.

The only images with expressivemovements similar to the images inShalkhar are, again, found in Tabo mon­astery. One well-preserved example is asmall bodhisattva, contained in one ofthe floral rondels of a very fine doorfragment (Fig. 4; see also KJimburg-Sal­ter, 1994, p. 38, fig. IS). On the badlypreserved door frame of the Maitreyatemple in Tabo, the outlines of very dy­namic dancing images can also be seen(see Tucci, 1935, pI. LXII, in which theycan be faintly discerned).

To this group of closely related woodcarvings from Shalkhar and Tabo is to beadded a piece from The Kronos Collec­tions in New York. In this beautiful carv­ing, a standing image of an eight-armedAshtamahabhaya Tara is framed in anarchitectural setting comparable to thetwo standing Buddha pieces from Tabo(see Lerner, p. 80, no. 29; Pal, 1989[b],p. 121, fig. 7). The addition of a secondgable to the roof makes it even moreelaborate than the Tabo pieces. At thebase, the Kronos piece has small Atlan­tean images clearly related to bronzesattributed to Kashmir.

T he Lotsaba Ihakhang of Ribba is in­tegrated into a larger structure with

the same name (Fig. 5). Largely made ofwood, the original temple, as far as it ispreserved today, consists of a small,nearly cubical building with a shallowveranda on all four sides, which presum­ably once served as a circumambulatorypath. It should be noted that not all thewooden elements of the structure as pre­served today are original: some parts ex­posed to the weather have been replacedseveral times over, but it is still the prac­tice in Kinnaur today that during therenovation of a temple, the original iscopied as precisely as possible, as wit­nessed by this author on several occa­sions.

The key element for proposing a datefor the temple is the wooden decoration,especially on the door frame. However,the whole fa~ade, including the door

with the palm turned inward. A secondlotus to his right seems not to be directlyrelated to the figure, but rather fills theotherwise empty space. The figure thatperhaps depicts Jambhala wears a crownwith three crescents and with large knots

Both figures on the Shalkhar capitalare depicted in an extremely lively man­ner, but this is especially true of Avaloki­teshvara. His left hand rests on his leftknee and holds the stalk of a lotus, whilethe right hand is raised to the shoulder

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<Fig. 5) LOlsaba IhakhangRibba, cenlral Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh

(Fig. 6a) Detail of doorpost showing conch shellsLotsaba Ihakhang, Ribba, central Kinnaur,Himachal PradeshEarly 1Olh centuryWoodHeighl of each unit 14 cm

(Fig. 6b) Delail of doorposl showing standing BuddhaLotsaba Ihakhang, Ribba, central Kinnaur, Himachal PradeshEarly IOlh centuryWoodHeight of Buddha 27 cm; height of frame 61 cm

70

frame, is complelely coveredwith a thick layer of whitewash(up to I centimetre deep). Thatone can still discern anything atall is due to the relative depthof the carving. A comparativeanalysis is therefore restrictedto motifs and structural compo­nents, and a stylistic compari­son can only be attempted in afew cases. It is hoped that thisarticle will give further impetuslo support proper cleaning andrenovation of this unique tem­ple.

The large wooden doorframe comprising the east wallis the most interesting part ofthe temple. Adetailed and com­plete description of all thedecorative elements of the doorframe is not intended in thisarticle, which is restricted tosome of the figurative elementsand lheir archilectural framesuseful for comparison with theother carvings discussed, aswell as for making a hypothesis

concerning the temple's approximatedate, At the sides of the door, a row ofdeeply carved conch shells interspersedwith small flowers is depicted (Fig. 6a).A similar band, but more complex anddetailed, can be seen on the door fromKojarnath, on which the conch shells al­ternate with auspicious symbols emerg­ing from a vase (see Fig. 2). On lheengaged pillar in the middle of the door­post at Ribba, three large standingBuddhas (Fig. 6b) alternate with threeother smaller standing images abovethem. Both types of images are depictedin architectural frames with a doubleroof, with birds within the upper roof,which ends in a pinnacle. These framescan best be compared to the examplesfrom the mid-eighth century sun templein Martand, Kashmir (see Meister et aI.,fig. 717; Fisher, 1989[a] , p. 34, fig. 6),and are found, with slight variations, inthe later pre-islamic monuments ofKashmir as well. The same frame is usedon the wood carving in The Kronos Col­lections as mentioned above. The gar­ments of the Buddha in Figure 6b aredepicted in Gupta fashion, but with thickfolds hanging down from the arms as istypical of the post-Gupta sculpture ofKashmir. The rounded, smooth forms ofthe body and the slight sense of move­menl give the figure a majeslic appear­ance. Overall, the image refers stylisti­cally to the mid-ninth century sculptureof Avantipur in Kashmir (Fisher,1989[b], figs 7 and 9),

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(Fig. 7a) Detail of len side of lintel showing Jinas (including Yairochana) and h"dhi,wl/v(I.I'Lotsaha Ihakhang. Rihha. central Kinnaur. Himachal PradeshEarly 1(Jlh centuryWood

The upper figurative band of the lin­tel depicts the five linas, and betweenthem, seated celestial figures or bo­dhisattvas with their legs crossed at theankles and making gestures of discussionor offering (Fig. 7a). It is remarkable thatof these five linas, only the central one,identifiable by the gesture of teaching

(dharmachakramudra) as Vairochana, iscrowned and jewelled. Figure 7b showsthe eroded form of another of the linas.His garment is visible, crossing hisbroad-shouldered torso from the leftshoulder, and the facial features can alsobe vaguely discerned. This lina is de­picted with hair hanging in thick strands

to the shoulder, which is highly unusual.The type of attendant celestials or bo­dhisattvas represented here are onlyknown to this author from late Gandha­ran sculpture, where they are most com­mon on steles interpreted as the Miracleof Shravasti, and from later Buddhistmonuments in historical northwest India,

such as Bamiyan (in present-dayAfghanistan). I do not know ofthis type of image in any othermonument in Himachal Pradesh.The lower figurative band of thelintel is flanked by two femaledeities. Turned towards the cen­tre, they each wear a high crown,a long shawl and a garland (mala)pendent to the ankles. Directlybelow them, on the capital, asmall donor image in an­jalimudra is depicted, also turnedtowards the centre. The largecentral standing image on thisband is severely damaged: thehead is broken off as well as thelower part of the legs (Fig. 7c).

Remarkable also are the ar­chitectural frames used for thefigures on the lintel. These arenot of the Kashmiri-type archi­tecture with gabled roofs asfound around the Buddha on theengaged pillar (see Fig. 6b).Around four of the linas (see Figs7a and 7b), under a trilobed archdouble columns support a roofdivided into three horizontal ter-

(Fig. 7h) Detail 01" lintelshowing ligure of a JinaLotsaha Ihakhang.Rihha. central Kinnaur.Himachal PradeshEarly I(Jth centuryWoodHeight of J ina 18 Clll

(Fig. 7c) Detail of lintelshowing standing tigureat centreLotsaba Ihakhang.Ribba. central Kinnaur.Himachal PradeshEarly IDlh centuryWoodHeight of frame 52 cm

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(Fig. 8) Buddhisl image veneraled as DurgaDurga lemple. Rihba, cenlral Kinnaur. Himachal Pradesh. 199310th centuryWoodHeighl approximalely 2 m

races and culminating in an amalaka(doughnut-shaped finial). The framesaround the female deities at the sides andaround the Vairochana figure are basi­cally the same, but these are much moredeeply carved. This type of architectureis rendered in its most complex form asthe frame around the main image of thelintel in Figure 7c, where a three-dimen­sional structure very similar to the shik­hara-type tower is depicted. It has at leastseven terraces, and an amalaka at the top:two smaller amalakas at the sides wouldseem also to indicate the presence offlanking smaller towers.

As noted above, some of the stylisticfeatures found on this door frame fromRibba's Lotsaba Ihakhang preserve ele­ments from the Kashmiri artistic tradi­tion of the eighth to ninth centuries. Cer­tain other elements, such as the seatedcelestials or bodhisattvas with legscrossed at the ankles, their hair style andthose of the donors and flying apsaras,and the shikhara-type framing, are un­usual in Kashmir, and are unique in thiscultural context. These other elementsevidence cultural links to other regionsas well. They refer partly (the shikhara­type architecture and the hair style) to thepost-Gupta art of the lower hills and theIndian plains, partly (the seated celestialfigures or bodhisattvas) to the art of theremote regions of historical northwestIndia.

Although local tradition ascribes thistemple to the same period as Tabo orShalkhar, (i.e. to the time of RinchenZangpo), a consideration of the stylisticfeatures found on the door frame alonesuggests an earlier date. Even if one canaccount for a relatively long delay untilthe particular confluence of Kashmiriand northwest Indian elements cameabout in such a secluded and remoteplace, based on the facts that the compa­rable carvings discussed above date fromthe mid-ninth century at the latest, andthat many of the temple's particular fea­tures are no longer found in the knownart of the Purang-Guge kingdom, thetemple can be dated no later than thebeginning of the tenth century. Thus, itcan be safely considered the earliest ex­tant Buddhist monument of HimachalPradesh and seems to be a local creationbased primarily on models from north­west India and Kashmir. The occurrenceof such an unusual iconographic featureas the long hair on the Jina can also onlybe explained by a certain provinciality. Inany case, this temple preserves a phaseof Buddhist art and architecture pre­viously unknown in Himachal Pradesh,and proves the existence of Buddhism in

72

this region prior to the estab­lishment of the kingdom of Pu­rang-Guge. It also evidences astrong local wood carving tra­dition in Kinnaur, whichformed a basis for the worksfound in later monuments ofthe same region.

As a result of the study ofRibba, one is now able to seethe other group of reliefs at Ko­jamath, Tholing, Shalkhar andTabo in a different light. Com­paring certain elements atRibba which occur in Kojar­nath as well, such as the row ofconch shells (see Fig. 2) andthe amalaka on top of theframes of the standing imageson the lintel (see Fig. I), it ap­pears that the door frame ofKojarnath is the earliest of thelatter group. Thus, the attribu­tion of the portal of Kojamathto the founding of the monas­tery at the end of the tenth cen­tury is confirmed. The portal ofTholing, however, does notshare such details with Ribbaand is more similar to the carv­ings from Tabo and Shalkhar,and thus is somewhat later.These latter carvings therefore might beattributed to the last years of the tenthcentury and the early eleventh century.

The images in Kojamath are, how­ever, already depicted in a similarly ex­pressive manner to the slightly latermonuments of Shalkhar and Tabo. Thisnew style may be the direct influence ofartists coming from Kashmir, as men­tioned in the biography of RinchenZangpo. Nevertheless, this influence canonly be clearly ascertained if the culturalexchange during the period is clarifiedwith the help of chemical analyses ofmetal sculptures, or if more murals, carv­ings and metal sculptures are found in theregion and published.

I n another small temple in Ribba, not farfrom the Lotsaba Ihakhang, there is a

free-standing, former Buddhist imagenow venerated as Durga (Fig. 8). Thiswooden figure is painted completelyblack with tar, That it was once a Bud­dhist deity can only be recognized todayby the small Buddha images in the pointsof the crown. A pair of garudas with thesame hair style as found in Ribba'sLotsaba Ihakhang also remains in thistemple, as well as a fragment of a stupa,thus attesting further to the temple's Bud­dhist origins. The Durga temple was re­built and redecorated in 1993 during this

(Fig. 9) Detail of mandorla of DurgaDurga temple, Ribba,central Kinnaur,Himachal Pradesh, 1993Wood

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author's first VISit to Ribba, when thephotographs were taken. The conditionof the image does not allow a stylisticanalysis. It is framed with a large woodenmandorla, which is decorated with abeautiful running vine motif encirclinghorseshoe-shaped panels that were origi­nally painted (Fig. 9), and is thus a cruderversion of the marvellous metal frame inthe Shri Pratap Singh Museum at Srina­gar in Kashmir (see Pal, I989[a], figs 14and 15), discovered in 1931 in Devsar, adistrict in the south of the Kashmir val­ley.

Two standing figures from a templein Ropa (Ro-dpag) in upper Kinnaur rep­resent other examples of wood sculpturewhich do not really conform to theknown artistic production of the Purang­Guge kingdom, appearing somewhatearlier (Fig. 10; see also Klimburg-Sal­ter, 1994, pp. 71-73, figs 57-59). Theyhave been attributed generally to thetenth century on the basis of comparisons

with mid-ninth century Kashmiri sculp­ture and later sculpture from the area.Despite the coarse repainting and thehuge amount of dust on these sculptures,their grace is astonishing. Our conclu­sion that Buddhist artistic production ex­isted at the Lotsaba Ihakhang in Ribbaprior to the establishment of the Purang­Guge kingdom now definitely supportsthe attribution of the two standing figuresto a period earlier than the time ofRinchen Zangpo's building activity.However, the historical context remainsobscure.

An even more astonishing sculptureof approximately the early eleventh cen­tury can be seen in the Lotsaba Ihakhangin Poo (sPu), the main village of upperKinnaur (Fig. II). The thick layer ofcrude repainting had caused us to virtu­ally overlook the life-size sculpture onearlier visits. Made of a single piece ofwood, with a height of two metres (in­cluding the base) it is certainly the largest

sculpture of its kind. The figure stands tothe proper right of the clay images ofShakyamuni and his followers on themain altar. A smaller, blue bodhisattvamade of clay is his counterpart on Shak­yamuni's proper left.

Although not seated on a peacock asdescribed in the Sadhanamala, the largeimage can be identified as the bodhisatt­va Vajradharma, a form of Avaloki­teshvara. Here he stands in a relaxedtribhanga pose with his left hand at hiship holding the stalk of a lotus, whj\e theright hand teases the flower open at hisheart (see De Mallmann, p. 108). Vajrad­harma wears a high four-pointed crownwith four of the Jinas depicted in thepoints, the fourth point shown behind hishigh topknot (Fig. lla). The descriptionof this bodhisattva in the Sadhanamalamentions a five-pointed crown, howeverthe fifth point, which should be at theback, has not been depicted. The frontfigure is presumably Amitabha, whj\e on

(Fig. 10) Prolile of VajrasauvaRopa temple. upper Kinnaur.Himachal PradeshIst half of the 10th centuryWoodOverall height 120 ern

(Fig. I I) VajradhannaLOIsaba Ihakhang. Poo. upperKinnaur. Himachal PradeshPurang-Guge kingdom.early I Ith centuryWoodHeight 2 m

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the central point Vairochana is recogniz­able and on the left point a Buddha withthe right hand on his knee can be seen. Tothe sides of the crown are rosettes as wellas knots with streamers descending to theupper arm, in front of which plait-likestrands of hair fall to the shoulder. Thebodhisattva has a round, full face with astraight, thick nose (probably restored)and a strong chin. In addition to thecrown, the figure's sumptuous jewelleryconsists of three earrings, two braceletseach on the upper and lower arm andthree necklaces. The dhoti, which wasprobably originally of unequal length oneach leg, has a central fold ending in apoint (Fig. II b). A mala hangs down tothe ankles and long, floating streamers,decorated towards the bottom with geo­metrical carvings, flank the legs.

A fragment preserved in the sametemple was in fact originally a part of theVajradharma image (Fig. 12). Unlike thelaller, it was not repainted. and depictsthe donor of the image in a long, tightrobe (formerly painted red) with a simplebelt. He has a moustache, and holds whatmay be either a twig with five buds or aflower with five leaves as well as a rosaryin his raised right hand, and another ro­sary in his pendent left hand. This type ofdonor image with similar gestures (butdifferent attributes) and often also with amoustache goes back to mid-ninth cen­tury Kashmir (see Fisher. 1989[b]. p.108, fig. 3; Pal, 1989[a], p. 93, fig. 20).

74

(Fig. 1J a) Head of Yajradharmaimage in Figure J 1

The end of the streamer and a part of themala testify that this fragment once be­longed to the Vajradharma image, and afoot of the donor can still be seen onVajradharma's pedestal in Figure II b.

Strikingly similar to this bodhisattvafrom Poo is a small wood sculpture atRopa (Fig. 13). Except that Vajradharmais now shown seated, all the other detailsare similar to the Poo image. The com­parative flatness of the Ropa figure anda few coarser details suggest that it is awell-made local variant of the Poo bo­dhisattva. As the first image retains allthe stylistic features of the art of thePurang-Guge kingdom, such as the sec­ond pair of earrings at the top of the ear,the exaggerated central part of the crown(see Fig. II a) and the braids falling fromthe top of the head, it most probably datesto no later than the second half of theeleventh century.

There are a few other early Buddhistwooden sculptures known in addition tothose discussed above. Among them isthe beautiful Amitabha from Johlingtemple in Lahaul, Himachal Pradesh, to­day housed in the British Museum inLondon (see Klimburg-Salter, 1982, pI.85; 1994, fig. 30). A second figure fromthis temple is said to be in the ChambaMuseum, Himachal Pradesh. Othersculptures are in the Rangrigtse monas­tery of Charang in upper Kinnaur, some35 kilometres along a side valley of theSutlej river, which it has not been possi-

(Fig. IJb) Feet and base ofYajradharma image in Figure 11

ble to visit until now. The only publishedsculpture from Charang (Singh, fig. 117)shows a bodhisattva which is very simi­lar to some of the murals at Tabo datingto the mid-eleventh century. Other sculp­tures from Charang have been shown atlectures given by Singh, and will soon bepublished CRangrig rtse: An early Bud­dhist Temple in Kinnaur - Western Hi­malayas', in Proceedings ofthe Seminarof the International Association for Ti­betan Studies. Seggau, 1995, Oster­reichische Akademie der Wissenschaf­ten, forthcoming).

Of all the free-standing images dis­cussed above, the Durga from Ribba (seeFig. 8) and the pair of standing figuresfrom Ropa (see Fig. 10) seem to be theearliest; all the others appear to date tothe eleventh century. However, due totheir stylistic divergence as well as to thefact that not all examples known to existhave been seen by the author, it is notpossible to attempt a more detailed rela­tive chronology for them here.

The extensive use of wood for thedecoration of a temple or for images is,of course, not unique to Buddhist art.Rather surprisingly, many of the Bud­dhist wood carvings are found in an areatoo high, dry and cold for trees to grow.As evidenced by the eighth to ninth cen­tury Hindu wooden temples ofBharmaurand Chatradi in Chamba (see Postel et a!.,figs 37-42, 45-48) and the images fromGajan village in the Kullu district (ibid.,figs 84-90), there is a strong wood carv­ing tradition in Himachal Pradesh priorto the earliest Buddhist carvings pre­served. In contrast to the earlier Hindumonuments, which are clearly in the

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(Fig. 12) Fragment of Vajradharmaimage showing donorLotsaba Ihakhang, Poo. upperKinnaur. Himachal PradeshPurang-Guge kingdom,early 11th centuryWoodHeight of donor 47 em

(Fig. 13) VajradharmaRopa temple. upper Kinnaur.Himachal PradeshPurang-Guge kingdom.2nd half of the 11th centuryWoodOverall height 84 cm

post-Gupta artistic tradition, the Bud­dhist carvings also show direct Kashmiriinfluence.

The Lotsaba lhakhang in Ribbaseems to be the earliest Buddhist monu­ment in Himachal Pradesh preserved to­day. The existence of the wood carvingsfrom this temple contradicts the theorythat the later Buddhist wood carvingsfrom the region were influenced by theculture of Kashmir alone. Rather, itsunique blending of influences from theart of Kashmir and the Indian plains at­tests, at least for wood carvings, to a localartistic school existing in Kinnaur priorto the kingdom of Purang-Guge. Thislocal artistic school has to be taken intoaccount when studying the later woodcarvings of the Purang-Guge kingdom.On the other hand, the Lotsaba lhakhangand the pair of bodhisattvas from Ropaare evidence of a previously unknowncultural connection between Kinnaur andthe region of Kashmir preceding the timeof the Kings of Purang-Guge.

Christian Luczanits is a research associate at theInstitute of Tibetan and Buddhist Studies of theUniversity of Vienna.

This article is the result of a research project fundedby the Fonds zur Ftirderung der wissenschaftlichenForschung in Auslria. In the course of the nearlyannual research expeditions supported by thisproject. Ropa was visited in 1991 and 1994,

Kojarnath in 1993. Ribba in 1993 and 1994. andother places only in 1994.

All photography by the author unless otherwisestated.

Selecled bibliography

Robert E. Fisher, 'Stone Temples', in PratapadityaPal ed., An and Archileclure of AncienlKashmir, Marg Publications, Bombay,1989[a], pp. 29-40.

-, 'Later Stone Sculpture (ninth-twelfthcenturies)', in P. Pal ed., An and Archileclureof Ancienl Kashmir, Marg Publications,Bombay, 1989fb I, pp. 105-16.

A.H. Francke, Anliquilies of Indian Tibel, Pari I:Personal Narralive, SuperintendentGovernment Printing, Calcutta, 1914;(reprinted Asian Educational Services, NewDelhi, 1992).

J.e. Harle, 'The Post-Gupta Style in Indian TempleArchitecture and Sculpture', in The RoyalSociely of Ans Journal, London, 1977, pp.570-89.

Deborah E. Klimburg-Salter, The Silk Roule andThe Diamond Palh. Esoleric Buddhisl An OnThe Trans-Himalayan Trade Roules, LosAngeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles,1982.

-, 'The Life of the Buddha in Western HimalayanMonastic Art and its Indian Origins: Act One',in EAST and WEST, vol. 38 (1-4), IsMEO,Rome, 1988, pp. 189-214.

-, 'Tucci Himalayan Archives Report, 2 - The1991 Expedition to Himachal Pradesh, inEAST and WEST, vol. 44 - No. I, IsM EO,Rome, 1994, pp. 13-82.

Martin Lerner, The Flame and Ihe Lolus. Indian

and SouTheasT Asian ArT fmm The KmnosCollecTions. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.New York, 1984.

Marie-Therese de Mallmann. In/mdt/clion (II'lnJ{)ographie du TanTrisme Bouddhique,Cenlre National de la Recherche Scientilique,Paris, 1975.

Michael W. Meister, M.A. Dhaky and KrishnaDeva, Encyclopaedia of Indian TempleArchileclllre. Norlh India Foundalion of IheNonh Indian Slyle Co 250 BC-AD 1100,2 vols,Princeton University Press, New Jersey, 1988.

Pratapaditya Pal, 'Metal Sculpture', in P. Pal ed.,Arl and ArchileClure ofAncienl Kashmir, MargPublications, Bombay, 19891a], pp. 77-104.

- 'Kashmir and the Tibetan Connection', in P. Paled., Arl and ArchileCiure ofAncien/ Kashmir,Marg Publications. Bombay, 1989fb), pp.117-35.

M. Poslel, A. Neven and K. Mankodi, Anliquiliesof Himachal, vol. I, Franco-IndianPharmaceutical Private Limited, Bombay,1985.

A.K. Singh, Tram-Himalayan Wall Pain/ing.l· (IOlh10 131h cen/ury AD), Agam Kala Prakashan,Delhi, 1985.

Giuseppe Tucci, I lempli del Tibel Occidenlali e illoro simbolismo-anislico. Pane I. Spili eKunavar, in Indo-Tibelica 11/: I, Rome, 1935;(reprinted in English as Lokesh Chandra ed.,The Temples ofWeslern Tibel and Iheir AnislicSymbolism, Indo-Tibelica 111:1, TheMonasteries of Spiti and Kunavar, AdityaPrakashan, Delhi, 1988).

-, Transhimalaya, Barrie and Jenkins, London,1973.

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OrientationsVOLUME 27 NUMBER 6 JUNE 1996

Jinas, p. 71

The Art of Tibet

A Preliminary Report on Early CavePaintings of Western Tibet

'On the Path to Enlightenment'The Berti Aschmann Foundation ofTibetan Art at the Museum Rietberg

Himalayan Metal Images of Five Centuries:Recent Discoveries in Tibet

Early Buddhist Wood Carvings fromHimachal Pradesh

A Note on Tholing Monastery

Book ReviewsGyantseand its Monasterie.I·. Part/,Genera/ Descriptions ojthe Temple

By Giuseppe TucciGyantse Revisited

By Erberto Lo Bue and Franco RiccaThe Great Stupa ojGyantse

By Erberto Lo Bue and Franco Ricca

Thomas J. Pritzker 26

Helmut Uhlig 48

Michael Henss 57

Christian Luczanits 67

Christian Luczanits 76

Deborah Klimburg-Salter 78

Audrey Yoshiko SeoThe Clark Foundation for the Study of Art

Exhibition Previews'Imperial Porcelain of Kangxi. Yongzheng & Qianlong'

S. Marchant & Son. London'Sculplure and Ornamenl in Early Chinese Art'

Eskenazi. London

Auction Report - The Spring Sales in New York

Art Fairs in America - 1996

East is East...

Cover: Flying ap.<orasNorth wall. Cave I. Dungkar. Tibet Aulonomous RegionEarly Guge kingdom. 12th centuryMural paintingPhotography by Thomas J. Prilzker

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