350 Field Museum of Natural History — Anth., Vol. X. 



Tao-tse, there are many traits stamping the work of Sesshu as an in- 

 dependent production. The position in which the elephant is drawn, 

 and the bold dashes of the brush marking its massive head and trunk 

 betray a self-conscious genius. The new feature, from an iconographic 

 point of view, is the conception of the Bodhisatva who is plainly clad, 

 without any jewels and hair-ornaments, and wears his hair flowing down 

 his shoulders. This cannot be interpreted as a feminine feature, as 

 the Manjugri in this group is represented in the same style of hair- 

 dressing. It is difficult to guess what the artist's intention really was. 

 Samantabhadra here appears neither as the Bodhisatva in the traditional 

 form nor as the monk, but simply as the reader of a Buddhist text on a 

 scroll. In our collection, there is an ancient wood-carving, probably 

 of the Ming period, from a temple in Si-ngan fu, representing Saman- 

 tabhadra sitting on a recumbent elephant, also with long flowing hair, 

 but not reading nor holding any attribute. 1 



When I visited the sacred isle of P'u-t'o ten years ago, I was shown 

 in one of the temples (P'u-tsi sze) a jade-carved statue of the goddess 

 Kuan-yin. Almost life-size, she is represented gracefully reclining, 

 resting her chin on the right palm, sleeping, in the posture of Buddha's 

 Nirvana. The body is dressed in gorgeous silk attire, and the head is 

 painted in colors. The image is kept under a glass case, and I saw it 

 shortly before sunset when the last sunrays produced a marvelous effect 

 on the snow-white transparent jade. I was informed that this work 

 had but recently been executed in Canton at a cost of 10,000 Mexican 

 dollars through subscriptions raised by a pious community. It is not 

 only one of the most magnificent works of sculpture ever executed in 

 China, but also the most lifelike piece of statuary I have ever seen. It 

 inspires an impression which cannot be forgotten, and is a living proof 

 that art is still alive in China, if opportunities are offered. 



1 A Japanese wood-carving of Samantabhadra sitting on a lotus and posed on a 

 standing elephant see in Annates du Musee Guimet, Bibl. d' etudes, Vol. VIII, PI. XI. 

 A painting of the same type where the elephant seems to be wading through water in 

 Sei-ichi Taki, Three Essays on Oriental Painting, Plate I, London, 1910. 



