Research on Early Chinese Lacquer Buddhas

The practice of using lacquer to form Buddhist sculptures dates back several hundred years with the earliest known sculpture associated with the late sixth-century Sui dynasty (581-618 CE) shortly after Buddhism came to China. Very few of the often life-size or larger sculptures remain. For the first time in this volume, Buddhist lacquer sculptures and their place in Buddhist practice are discussed holistically by scholars from a range of disciplines. Research on scientific, art historical and historical aspects of the sculptures opens a window into the sculptural lacquer techniques used in their creation. These proceedings, and their companion symposium, coincided with the exhibition, Secrets of the Lacquer Buddha. This is the sixth in an ongoing series of publications of Forbes symposia proceedings. All six volumes are published by Archetype Publications in association with the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution.