佛像鉴定鉴赏收藏

尺寸：高约322.6cm
年代：北魏
质地：石雕
风格：中原
来源：纽约大都会博物馆
参阅：外部链接
鉴赏：
太和十三年（489 年）或太和十九年（495年） 定州赵氏一族造定光佛立像（砂岩，美国大都会美术馆藏）尺寸高大、气势夺人，在北魏单尊立像中颇具代表性。此像为磨光肉髻，面相丰圆，微含笑意。通肩式大衣，左手握大衣一角，右手作予愿印（手部微残），大火焰纹背光，较少见的例子是背光正面浮雕着几列身着交领短衣的供养人，且左右不对称，供养人身旁刻有人名。此像衣纹流畅，起伏较小，姿态和衣纹样式与云冈第18 窟东南角的佛立像极为近似，可以认为云冈石窟这样的国家大工程，其佛像形式成为了北魏辖境内各地仿效的样本。背光后上方刻有弥勒菩萨像，交脚坐在藤座上，下方为发愿文：“太和十九年岁⋯⋯定州唐郡唐县固⋯⋯皇帝陛下七妙之零⋯⋯造定光像一区赵寄赵□赵雅赵买赵双。”背光侧刻有“太和十三□年造像⋯⋯”可知此像是今河北中部一带制作的。

这件佛像进行了双面的雕刻，正面的这尊较大的佛像是燃灯古佛，而背面的较小的这尊佛像是以交脚菩萨（弥勒）的形象来雕刻的。不管是哪一面的佛像都反映了北魏时期佛教造像头部多为磨光式或分绺式肉髻。面相方圆，但略瘦，额头较宽，大眼横长。身着通肩式或袒右肩式大衣，呈U型或V型对称分布，衣纹深刻线条隆起等特点。

Buddha Dipankara (Dingguang), dated 495 (19 (?) year of Taihe reign)

The inscription on the back of this stele identifies the Buddha depicted on the front as Dipankara, who was thought to have lived before the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. He is shown here attended by a group of small figures wearing the clothing of the Xianbei, the non–Han Chinese peoples who ruled the Northern Wei dynasty. The smaller standing figure to the Buddha’s right may represent a youth named Sumedha, who was destined to become the historical Buddha in another lifetime. The imagery of this large sculpture is therefore intended to illustrate the promise or possibility of enlightenment in a future life. In Buddhism, the achievement of this advanced spiritual state is the goal of all practitioners.

The bodhisattva with crossed ankles on the back of the stele recalls similar figures in the collection from the Yungang cave temple complex.