This is white porcelain statue fired by Dahua Kiln in Fujian. It focuses on the story of Bodhidharma (Founder of the Zen) who crossed the Yangtze River on a Reed. It is made with ivory white glaze, which is a masterpiece with pure and shiny surface. Without any painting means, it wholly depends on sculpture language and clay glaze conditions to successfully show the brave image of Bodhidharma who preaches the Buddhism across the river. The whole artwork features heavy body, ripe craftsmanship and smooth lines, which is complete in one go so that there is coherence in thought and unity in style.
Head of Bodhidharma
Bodhidharma has obvious facial features of “foreign monk” as follows: huge head, long ears, whiskers, curled hair, pointed forehead with seeming wisdom, deep eyes, sharp and shining sights from the eyes under thick brow ridge, broad mouth, upright bridge of the nose, closed lips with determination and perseverance. He looks calm, quiet, grand and serious. This fifi gure has not only religious feature, but also the imposing quality of the senior, which is deeply respected.
Crossing the Yangtze River on a Reed
Bodhidharma was a monk of Sindhu (today’s India) in ancient times. He converted into Buddhism since childhood. In the 1st year of Datong Period of the Liang Dynasty (527), he came to China to spread Buddhism. After arriving in Guangzhou, he met with Emperor Wudi of the Liang Dynasty in Jinling (today’s Nanjing). But the emperor didn’t agree on Bodhidharma’s understanding of Buddhism, so both mistimed their remarks. Bodhidharma wanted to leave Jinling and march northwards by crossing the river. After Bodhidharma reached the south bank the Yangtze River, he saw the expanse of river area. There was no bridge or boat, and even no boatman. How could he cross the river? He suddenly saw an old lady sitting nearby. A bunch of reeds were beside her. Bodhidharma rushed to the old lady and gave a salute. He said: “Honorable madam, please give me a red!” When the old lady looked up to extraordinary Bodhidharma, she picked up a reed to him. When Bodhidharma put this reed on the river, reed flfl ower flfl ied high and fifi ve reed leaves spread. Bodhidharma stepped on the reed quickly. He crossed the river with flfl oating reed. After Bodhidharma crossed the Yangtze River on a reed, he came to Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng, Henan. He founded the Zen, an independent school of Buddhism. Since then, he is revered as “Founder of the Zen”, and Shaolin Temple becomes “Birthplace of Shaolin the Zen”.
Dehua Kiln
Dehua Kiln is located in Dehua in east Fujian, which is famous for the production of white porcelain objects and statues. In the Ming Dynasty and the early Ming Dynasty, white porcelain fifi red by Dehua Kiln ushered in golden age. The white porcelain artworks feature refined and white glaze bone, semi-translucent status, grease-like glaze color and integration of body and glaze. Buddha statues and mythical and historical figures are mainly themes of white porcelain of Dehua Kiln, as well as realistic fifi gure. White porcelain of Dehua Kiln has great influence in the West, which is hailed as “Chinese Whiteness”.
