点评:The day before visiting the Gal Vihara in Polonnaruwa, we visited this site, which many believe dates back to the 8th or 9th century AD (though it was previously attributed by most to the 5th century); in any case, it predates the Gal Vihara — which dates to the 12th century — by a considerable margin.
Here, the Buddha is depicted in a pose uncommon in Sri Lanka, known as "asisa mudra", ie with the right hand raised to shoulder height but turned slightly toward the body. This gesture conveys an invitation to onlookers to "fear nothing".
The rendering of the robe is rightly celebrated for its high artistic quality: it clings closely to the body, and its folds are carved in parallel lines that create an effect of fluidity, contrasting with the hardness of the rock from which the figure is sculpted.
Art critics see in these features the influence of the Indian Amaravati school upon the local figurative tradition; and even the renowned Gandhara school.
The Gandhara school of sculpture, which flourished between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD in the region spanning Afghanistan and Pakistan, is notable also for its Hellenistic influences.
翻译:在参观波隆纳鲁沃的迦尔毗诃罗寺前一天,我们游览了此处遗址。许多人认为它可追溯到公元8或9世纪(不过此前大多数学者将其年代定在5世纪);无论如何,它的历史都要比12世纪才建成的迦尔毗诃罗寺早得多。
这里的佛陀塑像呈现出斯里兰卡极为少见的姿势,称为“阿西萨手印”——即右手抬至与肩同高,但微微向身体方向偏转。这一姿态传达出一种邀请:让旁观者“无所畏惧”。
这件长袍的刻画因其高超的艺术水准而备受赞誉:它紧贴着人体轮廓,其褶皱以平行线的方式雕刻,营造出一种流畅柔和的效果,与雕刻此形象的坚硬岩石形成鲜明对比。
艺术评论家们认为,这些特征体现了印度的阿玛拉瓦蒂画派对当地造型艺术传统的影响;甚至还有著名的犍陀罗画派的痕迹。犍陀罗雕塑流派在公元1至3世纪间兴盛于阿富汗与巴基斯坦一带,该流派也因受到希腊化风格的影响而著称。