南诏大理国金属佛像制作工艺初探

Preliminary research on the methods of production for metal Buddha statues of the Kingdoms of Nanzhao and Dali

为研究南诏大理国金属佛像的制作工艺,对部分金属佛像进行了科学分析,表明制作各种铜佛像时,主要使用失蜡铸造工艺,已使用多种金属元素作为材质,阿嵯耶观音像和其他铜像是以含砷的铜合金为特征,金质佛像的材质主要用金银合金,铸造小铜佛像则采用复杂的合金成分配比。根据铭文和绘画资料分析,这些金属佛像主要是大理本地的工匠制作。

In this study, we scientifically analyzed some metal Buddha statues of the Kingdoms of Nanzhao and Dali in order to study their methods of production. The results show that the lost wax casting technology was mainly used for making various bronze Buddha statues and the materials contain a variety of metal elements. For example, the Acarya Guanyin statues and the other bronze statues are characterized by copper alloys containing arsenic;the gold Buddha statues were mainly made of gold and silver alloys;and the small bronze Buddha statues were made of complex alloys. According to analyses of inscriptions and paintings, these metal Buddha statues were mainly made by local artisans in Dali.