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76 - 100 of 341 Records
Arhat (Luohan)
- Title Translation: 罗汉
- Period: Liao, 907-1125 C.E.
- Project: Yixian Arhat
- Work Description: This life-size sculpture is part of a group of sixteen figures that have been known in the West since 1913. Thought to have come from a cave in Yixian, Hebei province, they represent arhats (or luohans, as they are known in China). Arhats were thought to have achieved an advanced state of spiritual development, and were revered as protectors of Buddhism. Regarded as masterpieces of ceramic sculpture, for their size, naturalistic modeling, and the quality of their three-toned (sancai) glaze, they can be dated securely to the late tenth or eleventh century based on material discovered in 1983 at an ancient kiln site near Beijing.
907
1125
1125
Head of a Buddhist guardian (deva-king)
- Title Translation: 佛教护法神首领(天王)
- Period: Tang, 618–907 C.E.
- Project: Sculptures in Longmen Caves
- Work Description: Chinese, Later than T'ang. Head of one of the four Guardians in high relief; part of left ear and topknot missing. Color: dark gray with yellow white patina and light earth encrustations. Wooden stand.
618 - 907
Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Guanyin)
- Title Translation: 观世音菩萨(观音)
- Period: Tang, 618–907 C.E.
- Project: Sculptures in Longmen Caves
- Work Description: The Bodhisattva stands with its body arched in a slight curve. The pointed headdress that appears in the high chignon is not specific enough to identify the particular Bodhisattva being represented. The torso is clothed in scarves and necklaces; a pleated dhoti falls from the waist. The Bodhisattva's right hand holds one end of a scarf against the dhoti; the left arm is raised at the elbow and the fingers of the hand are gracefully curved. There are traces of paint and pigment traces on the surface of the stone. The sculpture has been broken and subsequently repaired.
618 - 907
Buddha with Two Attendants in a Niche
- Title Translation: 如来三尊佛龛
- Period: Tang, 703 C.E.
- Project: Guangzhai Temple Qibaotai Pagoda
703
Niche of a Buddha Triad
- Title Translation: 佛三圣龛
- Period: Tang, 703 C.E.
- Project: Guangzhai Temple Qibaotai Pagoda
- Work Description: This niche belongs to a set of thirty stone reliefs from Baoqing Temple, and is one of the most representative stone carvings from the Tang dynasty (618–907). Baoqing Temple was a temple located near the south gate of the Chang’an capital during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). Today, the only structure that remains of the temple is a stone pagoda which held stone niches, including this one. These carvings, which were stored in the main hall of the temple, had originally been part of the Qibaotai pagoda in Guangzhai Temple, a temple in the Guangzhai district located immediately south of the Daming Palace in Chang’an during the Tang dynasty. This information is found on multiple niches from the series in the form of inscriptions, alongside carvings suggesting that they were created in the early eighth century (703–4, 724).The Guangzhai Temple was allegedly founded in 677 at the location where a Buddhist relic (cremated remains of the Buddha’s body) had been discovered. The Qibotai, on the other hand, was constructed by Empress Wu Zetian (r. 690–705), the only empress regnant in Chinese history, who also installed a series of stone Buddhist reliefs as decoration.This series of Buddhist reliefs features two styles of composition: ones depicting a buddha triad, and ones that depict a single buddha or deity. The former type can be classified further into three depending on the pose and/or hand gesture (mudra) of the central buddha: a buddha seated with legs folded performing the bhumisparsha mudra (Jp. gōma-in) that symbolizes the expulsion of evil, a buddha seated with legs folded performing the abhaya mudra (Jp. semui-in) that symbolizes fearlessness, and a seated buddha with feet touching the ground performing the abhaya mudra. Single-image niches typically feature the bodhisattva Ekadashamukha, the eleven-headed manifestation of Avalokiteshvara (Jp. Kannon). According to the inscriptions on the works, the triads featuring a central buddha with legs folded performing the abhaya mudra represent the buddha Amitabha, while the ones with a buddha seated with feet touching the ground performing the same mudra represented Maitreya Buddha. There are also variations in iconography among the buddhas performing the bhumisparsha mudra; some wear crowns, while others sit upon a shumi pedestal or a lotus pedestal. These may have roots in representations of the historic Buddha, Shakyamuni, that were popular in India at the time.This particular niche depicts a central buddha seated with both feet touching the ground, suggesting that it is an image of Maitreya, flanked by two attendants. At the top, a pair of heavenly beings are depicted in shallow relief to either side of a parasol that hangs above the central buddha. The rectangular space at the bottom bears inscriptions indicating that this particular work was dedicated by Yang Sixu, the duke of Guoguo (Guoguo-gong 虢国公).
703
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
Southern Xiangtangshan, seated buddha
- Title Translation: 南响堂山洞穴群 , 坐佛
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Xiangtangshan Caves
- Work Description: The two main groups of caves are known as Northern and Southern Xiangtangshan. The Northern Group, Bei Xiangtang, is the earliest and largest in scale and has three caves begun with imperial sponsorship; the Southern Group, Nan Xiangtang, has smaller caves numbered from one to seven; and a third site at Shuiyusi, also known as Xiao Xiangtang or “Little Xiangtang,” has one Northern Qi cave with sculptures.
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