Quick Answer: What Is a Buddhist Lotus Throne?
A lotus throne (莲座, liánzuò) is a flower-shaped seat or pedestal beneath a Buddhist figure. Both seated and standing figures can appear on one. The lotus is associated with purity in Buddhist art.[1][4]
- Shape: Petals radiate beneath the figure. Some bases have a single row. A double lotus can have petals pointing in opposite directions.[2][3]
- Function: The base can also bear an inscription or an attachment for mounting the figure in a larger ensemble.[2][3]
- Identification: The flower is shared across images of Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Use the rest of the image to determine who is shown.[3][4]
Look at where the petals appear and what rests on them before interpreting the motif.
A person viewing a Buddhist bronze naturally looks first at the face. The base can answer different questions. In one Chinese bronze it preserves evidence that the figure was once part of a larger work. In another it carries an imperial reign mark.
Start With the Petals
Chinese catalogues may describe upturned petals (仰莲, yǎnglián) and downturned petals (覆莲, fùlián). Look at the direction of the petal tips. A double lotus combines upper and lower rows on the same pedestal. On one Yongle-period seated Shakyamuni in the Palace Museum, the upper petals are shorter and the lower ones slender and longer. That arrangement is a feature of the example, rather than a rule for all Ming bases.[3]
What the Base Can Tell You About the Object
A small Eastern Wei gilt bronze at the Met has a projecting metal tab below its lotus pedestal. The museum identifies the tab as evidence that the figure was inserted into a larger altarpiece. The preserved base preserves evidence of how the statue was mounted, even though the bronze is now catalogued individually.[2]
The Palace Museum’s Yongle sculpture gives a different clue. The reign mark is cut into the upper part of the base between rows of decorative beading. It provides more direct evidence for the dating of that object than a comparison of petal outlines. Hand position 及 halos answer separate questions about the figure and its setting.[3]
A Painted Seat and a Lotus Pond
A silk banner from the Dunhuang area shows a standing bodhisattva on a lotus pedestal and a small Buddha sitting on a lotus above. The Met tentatively identifies the standing figure as Mahamayuri. The two positions show how the same flower can support very different figures in one composition. Compare the painted forms with those in other Dunhuang Buddhist paintings.[4]
A lotus may also grow in a painted pool. The Amitabha Sutra describes lotuses as part of the Western Pure Land’s waters. In reading a scene, ask whether a particular bloom functions as a figure’s seat, belongs to a landscape or combines the two roles.[5]
FAQs About Buddhist Lotus Thrones
Why is the lotus associated with purity?
In Buddhist interpretation its unsoiled bloom can represent purity amid the conditions from which it grows. A lotus pedestal places this image directly beneath a sacred figure.
Do lotus thrones only support seated figures?
A lotus pedestal can support standing figures as well. The Dunhuang banner described here shows a standing bodhisattva and a seated Buddha on separate lotuses.
Can the petals date a statue on their own?
Petal shapes help in comparison. A dated inscription, a documented find location or other evidence can provide a firmer basis.
資料來源
[1] The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Flask with Lotus Pond
[2] The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Buddha on a Lotus Pedestal
[3] Feng Hejun, Palace Museum. Gilt Copper Seated Shakyamuni
[4] The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Banner with Bodhisattva, Possibly Mahamayuri
[5] Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts. The Amitabha Sutra, Parallel Texts