Covert,Delicate Beauty

Based on the eight representative Buddha statues of Sakyamuni,which were exhibited in the National Museum of Nepal in March 2018,this thesis explores the artistic characteristics and causes of Buddha statues in Malla dynasty late of Nepal.Firstly,the author describes and introduces images,casting techniques and collection sources about these Shakyamuni Buddha statues.Then,the symbols such as vajra,mudras,padmasana,patra and khakkara are explained in combination with Buddhist stories and Esoteric Buddhism teachings.The hidden features of Sakyamuni buddha statue art at Malla dynasty late of Nepal are analyzed.Secondly,this thesis compares late Malla Sakyamuni Buddha statues with the early Buddha statues such as Gandhara and Mthura,and the contemporaneous Sakyamuni buddha statue art in Swat and Han-Tibet regions.On the one hand,it summarizes elegant and delicate,thin and refreshing artistic language characteristics of late Malla Sakyamuni Buddha statues from the aspects of figure proportion,face and clothing;on the other hand,it summarizes the decorative characteristics of late Malla Buddha statues in the use of decorations and decorative patterns.Finally,this thesis attempts to find out the causes of artistic style of late Malla Buddha statues,and summarizes it into four aspects.One is the demand of reviving traditional Buddhist art,the other is the aesthetic appreciation of local craftsmen,the third is the influence of Nepalese religious thought on aesthetics and artistic creation,and the fourth is the external exchange of Nepalese Buddhist art.By exploring the causes,the author briefly combs the development of Nepalese Buddhist statue art,introduces the population structure of Kathmandu Valley and the handicraft tradition of Newar artists,and interprets the local customs and practices from the perspective of religious aesthetics.It reveals that the artistic techniques and styles can serve as a reference for the development of Nepalese modern and contemporary Buddhist statue art.