Sakyamuni Buddha

"Sakyamuni Buddha," commissioned by the directors of Longshan Temple in Taipei's Monga (Wanhua) district, is modeled on Southern Song dynasty Buddhist painter Liang Kai's "Sakyamuni Descending from Mountain." The sculptor first created a plaster model, which then underwent many revisions. After three years had passed, he carved the statue from cherry wood. Unfortunately, the original was destroyed in WWII. The work on display in the museum is one of several bronzes reproduced from a plaster model in 1988. Sakyamuni is lean, dignified, and sagely, wearing a serene and compassionate expression. Structurally, the work is compact, stable and integrated. The cassock is loosely worn, the many folds and pleats draped naturally, coarse yet refined, appealing to both tactile and visual senses.