Asian Art

Religious Art of Buddhism and Daoism

16 October 2025

Tsai Yiing Ing

The Pure Radiance of Dharma and Dao

Chinese and Tibetan Buddhist and Daoist religious art, developed across centuries, embodies a dynamic continuum of spiritual practice, artistic inheritance, and intercultural exchange. Through sacred imagery and masterful craftsmanship of ritual wares, they materialise systems of belief, ritual, and cosmology through carefully codified forms and symbols.

Their craftsmanship, whether realised through carving, casting, modelling, painting, or embroidering, across materials such as wood, bronze, porcelain, bamboo, stone, paper, or textile, gives tangible form to sacred imagery drawn from Buddhist and Daoist visual cultures. Finely modelled Dehua figures of Guanyin, for instance, embody Avalokiteshvara’s purity in luminous white porcelain, often softened by a gentle ivory-toned warmth. In contrast, bronze representations of Guanyin and other bodhisattvas convey a sense of solemn, enduring authority, their presence shaped through the transformative processes of fire and alloy.

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Among Daoist deities, the Eight Immortals stand apart for their popular appeal. Their vivid personalities and distinctive attributes resonate across folklore, theatre, and everyday life. They are celebrated in a wide range of artistic forms and materials, from finely embroidered textiles to enamelled porcelain and sculptural works, each interpretation reflecting both their symbolic significance and the creativity of the artisans who depicted them.

Beyond iconography, the objects employed in worship and devotional practice hold equal significance, embodying the lived experience of belief and occupying an essential place within the collecting of religious art. Ritual bronzes, such as censers, often combine sculptural ingenuity with technical refinement, their forms and inscriptions sometimes suggesting imperial associations. Square censers cast in the form of elephants, for instance, demonstrate both symbolic resonance and exceptional craftsmanship, while more conventional handled examples reveal variations in quality and execution.

Ceremonial vessels also reflect the rich exchange of ideas across regions and cultures. Tibetan-style ritual ewers, known as penba hu, exemplify the fusion of Han and Tibetan court traditions, uniting distinctive forms with vibrant glazes and decorative techniques. Their origins can be traced to earlier metal prototypes, where gilt and damascened surfaces underscore the continuity between materials and the enduring dialogue between function, ritual, and artistic expression.

Together, these works illuminate enduring spiritual values, where material, form, and devotion converge, preserving cultural memory and inspiring continued reverence across time.

法道清暉：佛道宗教藝術

中國與西藏之佛教及道教藝術，歷經數百年發展，體現出一條充滿動態的精神實踐、藝術傳承與跨文化交流之延續脈絡。藉由精湛工藝打造的莊嚴聖像及禮器，此類作品以嚴謹規範之造型與象徵語彙，呈現信仰體系、儀式秩序與亞洲特有的宗教宇宙觀。

造像的工藝表現——無論雕刻、鑄造、塑形、繪畫或刺繡——運用木、銅、瓷、竹、石、紙與織物等多樣材質，使源自佛道視覺文化之神聖意象得以具象化呈現。LOT 57明代何朝宗款德化白釉持卷觀音坐像塑造精妙，以溫潤白瓷體現觀音之清淨慈悲；LOT 53明代大型銅鑄觀音半身像及LOT 50明代銅鑄菩薩座像則以銅鑄之厚重與火候之凝練，展現莊嚴而恆久之神聖氣度。

於眾多道教神祇之中，八仙尤以其廣泛流傳與深厚民間基礎而獨具魅力。其鮮明性格與各具象徵之法器形象，廣見於民俗、戲曲與日常生活之中。LOT 63清代杏地刺繡道教仙人大屏、LOT 69清代礬紅、藍及墨彩八仙圖瓷板，及LOT 70清代素三彩八仙紋燈罩及底座，皆以不同材質與形式，生動詮釋此一廣受喜愛之題材。

除造像之外，用於供奉與修持之器物同樣意義深遠，承載信仰於日常實踐中的具體經驗，並在宗教藝術收藏中佔據重要地位。LOT 61清代「太極殿用第拾壹號」內款及雙龍環抱減地陽文「大明宣德年製」底款，銅鑄象耳象足方爐，造型殊異、氣度非凡，或爲皇家道觀所用；其底部雙龍環抱減地陽文「大明宣德年製」底款可與LOT 59清代銅蚰耳簋式爐之宣德六字雙龍紋款相呼應，惟工藝精細程度各異。LOT 66清光緒時期的素三彩五爪龍紋藏式賁巴壺，則體現漢藏宮廷文化於歷史、工藝與審美上的交融，其原型可見於LOT 64清代鐵鋄金銀龍紋帶蓋執壺。

綜觀此特展拍品，無不彰顯恆久之精神價值，使材質、形式與信仰於其中交融匯聚，既承載文化記憶，亦啟發後世綿延不絕之敬仰與體悟。

Specialist

Tsai Yiing Ing

Asian Art Specialist

Department