Vadas József (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 10. (Budapest, 1991)

VINKOVICS Judit: A Hopp Ferenc Kelet-Ázsiai Művészeti Múzeum két mongol szobráról

at the base and the vertical plane at the back on the other. In this case, too, the entire sculpture is gilded, including the base. The sacraments are still inside the base of the sculpture. On the basis of similar size and iconographie elements (diadem, ushnisha, earrings, and other jewellery), the same unique design of the lotus throne and the representation of the human body these two sculptures are closely linked. Although their sizes and, consequently, the degree of their embellishment differ from those of the genuine pieces by Dzanabadzar, it is worthwhile to compare them. As far as the representation of the human body is concerned, we find in all the illustrations published in Tsültem's book that the sculptures-even those which show outraged gods-follow not only the rules of iconography, but also the natural (perhaps Mongol) proportions of the human body. In addition to the beauty and the proportions of the bodies, one must also appreciate the fact that these sculptures are all perfect rounds : from an iconographical aspect they have a main viewing point, but the artistic finish is complete and of a high standard on all sides. Generally speaking, the same cannot be said of the contemporary Chinese and Tibetan sculptures. The lotus thrones, thought to be the "signature" of Dzanabadzar and his school, are usually characterized by the rounded (or circular) geometry of the base and a certain bulging construction. Their sides are decorated with lotus petals which always point upward. These might be ordered in one, three, or four lines, either with or without veins, having either a smooth or an engraved edge. The petals themselves can either be stuck tightly to the throne or curve down. (Plates 10-12). Usually one or more lines of dots fill out the space between the petals of the top row, occasionally even incorporating small vertical lines. Our Vajradhara has petals sticking tightly to the throne: every sinusoidal line is followed by two rows of lotus petals, each with five arches and engraved veins. This is followed by a series of small vertical lines and three lines of dots. All these seem to fit into the style of the School of Urga : the individual execution of the motifs, that is to say, the lack of an exact analogy, is perhaps more in their support, since we do not know two exactly identical lotus thrones even among the works positively identified as genuine. The bodhisattva diadems of our sculptures consist of five, relatively tall jewels, engulfed in a flame-like ornamentation, while in the case of the genuine sculptures the central branch is more lavishly decorated : it branches out in "Nepalese fashion". The shapes of the jewels engulfed in flames, however, show a striking similarity to the ratna decoration seen on the bracelets of the Twenty-one Tara Goddesses. Also, both the Vajradhara and the Manjushri sculpture are fitted with oval-shaped and hollow earrings which show resemblance to the ones seen on the Twenty-one Tara Goddesses and, partially, also on the Vajrasattva sculpture of the Gandan Monastery. (On all the other genuine dhyanibuddha representations the earrings have solid base, circular design, and individual decoration.) The necklace of our Vajradhara is hidden from view by the pradnya. Manjushri's necklace consists of floral ornaments suspended from a six-pointed star ornament placed between two flowers, each having four petals. Although we have been unable to find any analogous example of this in the entire published literature, their design and structure is not far off the decoration of the other necklaces. On the basis of the arguments outlined above, seems probable that our sculptures originate from Dzanabadzar's circles, from an extremelytalented member of the School of Urga.