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1576 - 1600 of 3450 Records
Longmen Binyang Central Cave, North Wall of Cave 140 and the North Wall of the doorway
- Title Translation: 龙门宾阳中洞 , 第140窟北壁及门道北壁
- Period: Northern Wei, 386–534 C.E.
- Project: Longmen Binyang Central Cave
- Work Description: The Longmen Caves are located outside the city of Luoyang, China, about 500 miles southeast of the modern-day capital in Beijing. Established in the late fifth century, the site consists of 2,345 caves, and over 100,000 individual Buddhist statues, ranging in height from a few inches to over 56 feet. For more than 250 years, Chinese Buddhists from all walks of life sponsored the addition of Buddhist statues and inscriptions to the site, most significantly from the late Northern Wei (386-534) through the Tang dynasty (618-907). Binyang Central Cave is one of the earliest at Longmen and a major monument of Chinese Buddhism. Begun around the year 501, it was commissioned by the youthful Emperor Xuanwu (483-515) and dedicated to his father, Emperor Xiaowen, who died in 499 at age thirty-three. The cave is one of the major monuments of Chinese Buddhism. MEasuring roughly 30 feet in each dimension, its principal image is 28-foot-high seated Buddha largly filling the back of the cave and accompanied by smaller standing figures—disciples, Buddhas, and bodhisattva—on either side. The exit wall contained some of the finest stone relief carvings of the era, including depictions of two imperial processions, and a number of stories from Buddhist scriptures. After cave-making was discontinued for nearly a thousand years, the Longmen site was "discovered" by foreign scholars in the late 1800s. The publication of their studies with photos attracted international attention to the artistic quality of the sculptures. The publications ultimately led to the looting of much of the site in the early part of the twentieth century. In response to demand from art dealers, collectors, and museums around the globe, local stonecutters removed countless works from the caves, often breaking them into numerous fragments in the process. Pieces from the greater Longmen complex can now be found scattered throughout the world. In Binyang Central Cave, several heads and large portions of the relief carvings were cut or burned out of the walls. Fragments from Binyang Central Cave now reside in museums in the US and Japan, as well as in storage at the Longmen Research Institute in China. Many shattered pieces are identifiable today with the evidence of historical photographs and rubbings taken of the reliefs before their removal.
386 - 534
Bodhisattva Standing
- Title Translation: 立菩萨
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: This standing bodhisattva is unusually well-preserved and can be identified with a figure on the north wall in historic photographs of Cave 18.
618 - 907
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 on the north wall, west side, Cave 18, as recorded in historical photographs. The topknot and nose are restored.
618 - 907
Buddha Head
- Title Translation: 佛头
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The source of this head was probably a smaller cave at Tianlongshan.
618 - 907
Bodhisattva Standing
- Title Translation: 立菩萨
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: This standing bodhisattva is from the west wall of Cave 14. Its head is now in the Tokyo National Museum.
618 - 907
Guardian Head
- Title Translation: 天王、护法力士头
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The head is from a figure dressed in military garb, formerly standing inside Cave 16 on the east side of the entrance.
550 - 577
Buddha Head
- Title Translation: 佛头
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The large head is from the niche on the west wall of Cave 1.
550 - 577
Bodhisattva Head
- Title Translation: 菩萨头
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The crowned bodhisattva head, believed to be from Cave 1, is partially covered with brown pigment and shows signs of damage and restoration.
550 - 577
Bodhisattva Head
- Title Translation: 菩萨头
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The bodhisattva head from the east wall of Cave 10 wears a crown with floral panels and jeweled tassels.
550 - 577
Buddha Head
- Title Translation: 佛头
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The snail shell curls of the hair are unusual on Tang dynasty Buddhas at Tianlongshan. The specific cave from which it comes is uncertain.
618 - 907
Dragon Finial
- Title Translation: 龙顶
- Period: Eastern Wei, 534-550 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The head of a dragon is a finial from the top of a column in Cave 2.
534 - 550
Flying Divinity
- Title Translation: 飞天
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: This heavenly musician from Cave16 plays the sheng, a wind instrument consisting of a cluster of bamboo pipes joined at the bottom.
550 - 577
Bodhisattva Relief
- Title Translation: 菩萨浮雕
- Period: Eastern Wei, 534-550 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The bodhisattva Manjusri was located on the east wall of Cave 2 near the front of the cave, opposite a relief figure of Vimalakirti.
534 - 550
Buddha Head
- Title Translation: 佛头
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The head with hair rendered as raised curls is from the Buddha on the west Wall of Cave 10.
550 - 577
Fengxian Temple (Fengxiansi)
- Title Translation: 奉先寺
- Period: Tang, 618–907 C.E.
- Project: Sculptures in Longmen Caves
- Work Description: This imposing group of nine monumental images carved into the hard, gray limestone of Fengxian Temple at Longmen is a spectacular display of innovative style and iconography. Sponsored by the Emperor Gaozong and his wife, the future Empress Wu, the high relief sculptures are widely spaced in a semi-circle. The central Vairocana Buddha (more than 55 feet high including its pedestal) is flanked on either side by a bodhisattva, a heavenly king, and a thunderbolt holder (vajrapani). Vairocana represents the primordial Buddha who generates and presides over all the Buddhas of the infinite universes that form Buddhist cosmology. This idea—of the power of one supreme deity over all the others—resonated in the vast Tang Empire which was dominated by the Emperor at its summit and supported by his subordinate officials. These monumental sculptures intentionally mirrored the political situation. The dignity and imposing presence of Buddha and the sumptuous appearance of his attendant bodhisattvas is significant in this context. The Buddha, monks and bodhisattvas (above) display new softer and rounder modeling and serene facial expressions. In contrast, the heavenly guardians and the vajrapani are more engaging and animated. Notice the realistic musculature of the heavenly guardians and the forceful poses of the vajrapani.
618 - 907
Fengxian Temple (Fengxiansi)
- Title Translation: 奉先寺
- Period: Tang, 618–907 C.E.
- Project: Sculptures in Longmen Caves
- Work Description: This imposing group of nine monumental images carved into the hard, gray limestone of Fengxian Temple at Longmen is a spectacular display of innovative style and iconography. Sponsored by the Emperor Gaozong and his wife, the future Empress Wu, the high relief sculptures are widely spaced in a semi-circle. The central Vairocana Buddha (more than 55 feet high including its pedestal) is flanked on either side by a bodhisattva, a heavenly king, and a thunderbolt holder (vajrapani). Vairocana represents the primordial Buddha who generates and presides over all the Buddhas of the infinite universes that form Buddhist cosmology. This idea—of the power of one supreme deity over all the others—resonated in the vast Tang Empire which was dominated by the Emperor at its summit and supported by his subordinate officials. These monumental sculptures intentionally mirrored the political situation. The dignity and imposing presence of Buddha and the sumptuous appearance of his attendant bodhisattvas is significant in this context. The Buddha, monks and bodhisattvas (above) display new softer and rounder modeling and serene facial expressions. In contrast, the heavenly guardians and the vajrapani are more engaging and animated. Notice the realistic musculature of the heavenly guardians and the forceful poses of the vajrapani.
618 - 907
Cave 17
- Title Translation: 第十七窟
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: Cave 17 is a relatively small Tang cave that had numerous fine sculptural images. On the interior there were three seated Buddhas, two standing bodhisattvas, and six seated bodhisattvas around three walls. Many figures and fragments from Cave 17 are known to be in museums outside China.
618 - 907
Cave 17
- Title Translation: 第十七窟
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: Cave 17 is a relatively small Tang cave that had numerous fine sculptural images. On the interior there were three seated Buddhas, two standing bodhisattvas, and six seated bodhisattvas around three walls. Many figures and fragments from Cave 17 are known to be in museums outside China.
618 - 907
Cave 17
- Title Translation: 第十七窟
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: Cave 17 is a relatively small Tang cave that had numerous fine sculptural images. On the interior there were three seated Buddhas, two standing bodhisattvas, and six seated bodhisattvas around three walls. Many figures and fragments from Cave 17 are known to be in museums outside China.
618 - 907
Cave 18
- Title Translation: 第十八窟
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: Cave 18 is one of the most important Tang dynasty caves. Its remaining sculptures are better preserved than the sculptures in many other caves. Though they are damaged and a few completely removed, they still show the excellent quality of the carving as well as the arrangements and poses of the figures to a large extent. In recent years the cave was sealed to protect its contents.
618 - 907
Cave 18
- Title Translation: 第十八窟
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: Cave 18 is one of the most important Tang dynasty caves. Its remaining sculptures are better preserved than the sculptures in many other caves. Though they are damaged and a few completely removed, they still show the excellent quality of the carving as well as the arrangements and poses of the figures to a large extent. In recent years the cave was sealed to protect its contents.
618 - 907
Cave 18
- Title Translation: 第十八窟
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: Cave 18 is one of the most important Tang dynasty caves. Its remaining sculptures are better preserved than the sculptures in many other caves. Though they are damaged and a few completely removed, they still show the excellent quality of the carving as well as the arrangements and poses of the figures to a large extent. In recent years the cave was sealed to protect its contents.
618 - 907
Tianlongshan Caves
- Title Translation: 天龙山石窟
- Period: Eastern Wei, Northern Qi, Sui, Tang, 534-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The main site of Tianlongshan is located near the top of the mountain, 1,700 meters above sea level, on two sectors of a fissured sandstone cliff. The caves extend horizontally for about 500 meters across the two adjoining cliffs that are known as the Eastern and Western Peaks. The Tianlongshan grottoes are mostly of small and medium scale, square chambers with images on raised altars principally around the back and side walls. One of the caves is a central pillar cave with image niches cut into the central pillar and the walls around it, and there are also colossal images carved into the cliffside where a large multistory pavilion is built over them. Caves 1-8 and the four upper level caves are in the east sector of the site, and Caves 9-21 in the west sector. This is a general view of caves (including Cave 1-8 ) on the eastern peak.
534 - 907
Cave 10
- Title Translation: 第十窟
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: Cave 10 is a Northern Qi cave that is just west of the colossal sculptures and wooden structure of Cave 9. It is accessible through an opening in the east wall adjacent to Cave 9. The entrance porch is now high above path in front of the cave. Still partially preserved on the west side, it has one large pillar remaining on the west side. The entrance porch has two guardian figures standing outside, one of which mostly remains. Like the other caves of the Northern Qi period at Tianlongshan, this is one of the larger caves, its interior a square chamber more than three meters on each side with figures carved on four walls. There are recessed niches on the back and side walls that contain most of the principle sculptural images. Smaller figures of musicians and lions appear along the front of the low altar.
550 - 577
Cave 1
- Title Translation: 第一窟
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: Cave 1 is located at the far eastern end of the Tianlongshan caves site more than thirty meters from the the next cave, Cave 2. It is one of the larger caves, believed to be of the Northern Qi period. The facade still has part of the eave over the entrance porch showing architectural elements of posts and brackets and tiled roof carved in stone. The porch is about 3.5 meters wide and has an old stele carved on the right side. There was a dedicatory inscription carved on it, but only a few characters are now legible. The interior is a square chamber with niches on the back and side walls, each formerly containing a seated Buddha and two bodhisattvas.
550 - 577