The Louis W. Hill, Jr. Gift of Chinese Art at MIA

8 juillet 2023

The Louis W. Hill, Jr. Gift of Chinese Art at MIA

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Ding tripod, China, 900-600 BCE. Bronze, 25.4 × 26.5 × 27.2 cm, 4.4 kg. Minneapolis Institute of Art, Gift of Louis W. Hill, Jr., 76.72.82.

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Tou ritual food vessel, China, 6th century BCE. Bronze. 14.29 × 20.96 × 17.15 cm, 1.1 kg. Minneapolis Institute of Art, Gift of Louis W. Hill, Jr., 76.72.44.

Small Bowl, China, 2nd-1st century BCE

Small Bowl, China, 2nd-1st century BCE. Earthenware with green glaze, 7.3 x 13.34 x 13.34 cm. Minneapolis Institute of Art, Gift of Louis W. Hill, Jr., 76.72.67

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Incense Burner, China, 1st-2nd century. Bronze, 9.21 x 13.97 x 13.97 cm. Minneapolis Institute of Art, Gift of Louis W. Hill, Jr., 73.46.13a,b.

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Bowl, China, 2nd century BCE. Bronze, 10.48 x 23.18 x 23.18 cm. Minneapolis Institute of Art, Gift of Louis W. Hill, Jr., 76.72.34.

Mirror with abstract decor, 4th century BCE

Mirror with abstract decor, 4th century BCE. Bronze, 22.23 cm (diameter). Minneapolis Institute of Art, Gift of Louis W. Hill, Jr., 76.72.1.

Bottle, China, 8th century

Bottle, China, 8th century. Xingyao ware Porcelaneous stoneware with clear glaze, 12.38 cm. Minneapolis Institute of Art, Gift of Louis W. Hill, Jr., 76.72.57.

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Pair of bodhisattvas, China, 1770. Gilt bronze, 21.84 x 11.75 cm. Minneapolis Institute of Art, Gift of Louis W. Hill, Jr., 76.72.105.1, 76.72.105.2.

Such popular Buddhist images as Avalokitesvara, the compassionate one, were occasionally produced in sets. Since the act of making or commissioning a religious work was considered pious in itself, those who could afford it often commissioned multiple images. Here the jeweled and crowned deity is represented as a perfectly poised yogi seated in the lotus posture on a dais, the hands placed together in the lap forming the dhyana mudra, the gesture of meditation. The figures are set off by aureoles adorned with a flame motif representing purity. The identical inscriptions written in Chinese characters across the bases read: "Reverently made in the gengyin year of Qianlong (1770) during the great Qing Dynasty."

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