A Study On Metal Technology Of Bronze Buddhist Sculptures In East Tibet

As a carrier of the religion, bronze Buddhist sculptures in Tibetan Buddhism are the great works combining the aesthetic of religious art and the technology of metal processing. They are the essence of Tibet's cultural heritage.In this study, combined literature and field investigations method, found the represent groups of local artisans in Chamdo, Tibet. "Chamdo artisan group" formation is relevant with inheritance of the Karma Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhism in Chamdo. In the1930s, metal artisans migrated from Chamdo to Lhasa in large scale to occupy the position that Nepal artisans left. This study seeks on understand reveals the organizational structure, apprenticeship tradition, historical memory, identity and competition of the contemporary "Chamdo artisans group".Based on the investigation in the traditional workshop of Tibetan bronze Buddhist sculptures, combined with the observation of the physical bronze sculptures, it has been found that the external features of bronze sculptures and the manufacturing technology have limited each other. Combined with literature, the applying conditions of sand casting and lost wax casting method in Tibet have been analyzed. The reason for the use of sand casting method and the less use of lost wax casting for bronze Buddhist sculptures production in Tibet has been explained. In the standardization and modular-based production trends, the evolution and change of the casting and forging process could be interpreted.Records about bronze Buddhist sculptures production in Construction Section of the Qing court, added technical information of bronze production process in Tibet, from one side which confirm Nepalese craftsmen's widespread influence and the rationality of Chamdo craftsmen's rising, from other side which support the modular trend in the production of Tibetan bronze Buddhist sculptures.