Monks in glaze : patronage, kiln origin, and iconography of the Yixian Luohans / by Eileen Hsiang-ling Hsu.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hsu, Eileen Hsiang-ling.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Arhats in art.

Buddhist sculpture--China.

Buddhist sculpture.

Buddhist sculpture--China--Expertising.

Ceramic sculpture, Chinese.

Ceramic sculpture, Chinese--Expertising.

Yixian Luohans.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (283 pages) : illustrations, photographs, tables

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Boston : Brill, 2016.

Summary:

Monks in Glaze is a complete reassessment of the famous group of large glazed ceramic sculptures known as the Yixian Luohans . Drawing upon hitherto-unknown epigraphic documents, Eileen Hsiang-ling Hsu proposes a new date (1511–1519) for the group’s production and, for the first time, identifies the kiln centre near Beijing as its birthplace. Removed more than one hundred years ago from a massive grotto in northern China, the group’s provenance disappeared after its dispersal between 1913 and 1933. Delving into the social and economic issues of religious patronage, imperial workshop practice, and nuanced style of post-Yuan Buddhist art, Hsu convincingly shows that such a large group of masterworks were products of well-developed commercial economy of the Ming dynasty.

Contents:

Preliminary material

Introduction

The Epigraphic and Archaeological Record

History of Liuli Glazed Ceramics

The Efflorescence of Ming Sancai Sculpture

Iconography: Early Development and the Guanxiu Tradition

Iconography: Synthesis

Conclusion

Addendum: Friedrich Perzyński and the Hunt for the Gods of Yixian by Richard Smithies

The Stele of 1741

The Stele of 1667

The Stele of 1519

Size Chart

Results of X-ray diffraction analysis of three glazed ceramic sherds from Shanzidong, Yixian by Kang Baoqiang and David M. Kamen

Endnotes

Bibliography

Chinese Glossary

Index.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Publisher Number:

10.1163/9789004335868 DOI