Showing
51 - 75 of 193 Records
Pratyekabuddha Head
- Title Translation: 辟支佛(缘觉)头
- Period: Northern Qi, c. 580 C.E.
- Project: Xiangtangshan Caves
580
Monster Kneeling
- Title Translation: 跪鬼神
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Xiangtangshan Caves
550 - 577
Monster Head
- Title Translation: 鬼神头
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Xiangtangshan Caves
- Work Description: This leonine head of a beast originates from a group of Buddhist cave temples in northern China known collectively as Xiangtangshan, or the “Mountain of Echoing Halls.” Commissioned in the sixth century by rulers of the Northern Qi dynasty, the Xiangtangshan Caves are believed to have been an important place of worship for the royal family. The masterfully carved images are a vivid testament to the power, religious piety, and political aspirations of these royal patrons, who believed that the construction of temples and making of Buddhist images generated spiritual merit for the state. Although demons and monsters were generally thought to be harmful, their representations in Buddhist contexts were intended to demonstrate the efficacy of Buddha’s teachings in subduing evil. This head originally belonged to a winged monster, shown crouching beneath the weight of a massive altar at the center of the cave, reminding worshippers that Buddhism had the power to tame malevolent creatures and bring them into the service of good.
550 - 577
Bodhisattva Head
- Title Translation: 菩萨头
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Xiangtangshan Caves
550 - 577
Pratyekabuddha Head
- Title Translation: 辟支佛(缘觉)头
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Xiangtangshan Caves
550 - 577
Bodhisattva Hand
- Title Translation: 菩萨手
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Xiangtangshan Caves
550 - 577
Pratyekabuddha Head
- Title Translation: 辟支(缘觉)佛头
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Xiangtangshan Caves
550 - 577
Bodhisattva Standing
- Title Translation: 菩萨立像
- Period: Sui, 581-518 C.E.
- Project: Xiangtangshan Caves
- Work Description: Standing Guanyin Bodhisattva, head and both hands broken off. The smoothly falling robe forms thin ornamental folds.
550 - 577
Bodhisattva Head
- Title Translation: 菩萨头
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Xiangtangshan Caves
- Work Description: Both the Eastern Wei (535–50) and the Northern Qi dynasties were ruled from a capital at Ye (presentday Linzhang) in southern Hebei province; both sponsored the construction of new cave temples. The complex built at Xiangtangshan (not far from the capital) dates from the Northern Qi period. It consists of two sites: the three enormous cave temples at the top of the mountain are known as Northern Xiangtangshan, while an additional seven smaller shrines, about nine miles to the south, are known as Southern Xiangtangshan. This head comes from the southern site, which was constructed slightly later.
550 - 577
Buddha Head
- Title Translation: 佛头
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: This Buddha head is from main image in the niche on the west wall of Cave 16.
550 - 577
Bodhisattva Head
- Title Translation: 菩萨头
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The head is from the seated bodhisattva formerly in Cave 17 on the east wall, north side. The body is now in the Nelson Atkins Museums of Art.
618 - 907
Buddha Head
- Title Translation: 佛头
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The Buddha head is believed to be from the north wall of Cave 5.
618 - 907
Bodhisattva Standing
- Title Translation: 立菩萨
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: historical photographs show that the standing figure is from the east wall of Cave 14. The hands in front of the torso were already missing in the last century. The head is now in the British Museum.
618 - 907
Bodhisattva Standing
- Title Translation: 立菩萨
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The bodhisattva standing in a pose of reverence is from the west wall of Cave 17. The head is not original.
618 - 907
Buddha Head
- Title Translation: 佛头
- Period: Sui, 581-618 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The Buddha head is from the west side of the central pillar of Cave 8.
581 - 618
Bodhisattva Seated
- Title Translation: 坐菩萨
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: This fine large figure once occupied a lotus throne beside the principle Buddha image in Cave 21. It has a head made in the last century as a replacement for the original one, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
618 - 907
Buddha Head
- Title Translation: 佛头
- Period: Sui, 581-618 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The head is believed to be from the Sui dynasty cave, Cave 8.
581 - 618
Bodhisattva Seated
- Title Translation: 坐菩萨
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The bodhisattva figure is seated in a pose of royal ease, with right leg bent out to the side and with the foot resting on the throne beside the left knee. The head is a modern replacement for the original head, now in the Barnes Foundation Museum.
618 - 907
Disciple Head
- Title Translation: 弟子头
- Period: Sui, 581-618 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The shaven head of a youthful disciple is from the north wall of Cave 8.
581 - 618
Buddha Head
- Title Translation: 佛头
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: This Buddha head, previously exhibited at the Tokyo National Museum, is from the north wall of Cave 16.
550 - 577
Bodhisattva Head
- Title Translation: 菩萨头
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The head and jewelry are very similar to those of a seated figure once located on the north wall of Cave 17.
618 - 907
Bodhisattva Seated
- Title Translation: 坐菩萨
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: This finely carved headless figure sits in a posture of royal ease.
618 - 907
Bodhisattva Head
- Title Translation: 菩萨头
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The head is believed to be from the east wall of Cave 4.
618 - 907
Disciple Standing
- Title Translation: 弟子
- Period: Northern Qi, 589-618 C.E.
- Project: Xiangtangshan Caves
- Work Description: Expressing serene dignity, these youthful monks stand erect, their eyes downcast and hands firmly joined in reverent prayer. Their long earlobes allude to earrings that were worn by the Buddha as a young Indian prince and to his rejection of material wealth. Characteristic of Sui dynasty sculpture, the monks’ sharply defined facial features and the folds of their robes enhance the figures’ flat, understated modeling. Each of their robes was originally painted with rectangles of different colors, signifying the patchwork mantle worn by the Buddha and by pious monks who emulated his humble values. Only shadowy traces of these pigments are now evident.
589 - 618
Buddha Head
- Title Translation: 佛头
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Xiangtangshan Caves
- Work Description: At the Xiangtangshan Buddhist sites in Hebei province, cave-temple construction and image-making were supported by the Northern Qi imperial court and nobility. Under the constant shadow of political uncertainty and the theory of the "Law of the Decadence" (or mofa, the deterioration of the True Law after the historical Buddha’s attainment of nirvana), the Buddhist faith was embraced as the ideal for rulership. The Buddha’s smile offers reassurance and consolation.
550 - 577