佛像鉴定鉴赏收藏

尺寸：像高 163.8 cm
年代：7世纪\ 质地：石雕(Limestone with traces of pigment)
风格：中原(河南)
来源：纽约大都会博物馆
参阅：外部链接
鉴赏：
二尊菩萨立像几乎一模一样，这是西方极乐世界阿弥陀佛的左右胁侍者–观世音菩萨和大势至菩萨。画面右侧的菩萨宝冠上有一坐佛，可以确认是阿弥陀佛的左胁侍者–观世音菩萨；画面左侧的菩萨宝冠上有一宝瓶，这是大势至菩萨的重要标志。大势至菩萨是阿弥陀佛的右胁侍者，阿弥陀佛与观世音菩萨和大势至菩萨合称为“西方三圣”或“阿弥陀三尊”。

二菩萨面相圆润饱满，带有浓浓的大唐盛世中的“以胖为美”的艺术特征。碑碣背面和侧面均雕有千佛坐像，背面浅雕有佛陀与二弟子二菩萨的三组佛龛，佛龛上方雕有“过去七佛”坐像及飞天浮雕像。碑碣上部可看到断裂后修补的痕迹。整座碑碣以西方极乐世界阿弥陀佛为主尊，辅以周边千尊阿弥陀佛坐像围绕，正面雕出阿弥陀佛的左右胁侍者–观世音菩萨和大势至菩萨。整座碑碣造像精美，构思精妙，工艺精湛，华丽庄严，是七世纪唐代石雕中的精品之作。

大势至菩萨，又称得大势菩萨或大精进菩萨，简称为势至。由于民间对大势至菩萨了解不多，所以几乎没有单独供奉的大势至菩萨雕像和画像，基本都是作为阿弥陀佛的右胁侍者身份与观世音菩萨同时出现的。其形象据《观无量寿经》载，身放紫金色光，法相与装饰皆同于观音菩萨。二者的主要区别是：大势至菩萨头上的宝冠有定瓶为标志，而观音菩萨头上的宝冠则以一小化佛为标志。作为阿弥陀来迎时的随侍，观音菩萨手拿金莲台，大势至菩萨则合掌。

The two bodhisattvas seen here can be identified by the symbols on their headdresses(头饰): the figure on the right is Avalokiteshvara (as indicated by the presence of a small Buddha), and the figure on the left, wearing the symbol of a vase, is Mahasthamaprapta. The latter bodhisattva, who represents wisdom, is not found as an independent icon in Buddhist texts and art. Instead, he is usually part of a triad that includes both Avalokiteshvara and the Buddha Amitabha, who is one of the three Buddhas represented on the reverse of this stele; it seems likely that the two bodhisattvas were meant to serve as their attendants