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1 - 25 of 124 Records
Six Steeds of Zhao Mausoleum ("Zhaoling Liujun"), stone relief
- Title Translation: 昭陵六骏 , 浮雕石
- Period: Tang, 636 C.E.
- Project: Six Horses of Tang Taizong
- Work Description: The Six Horses reliefs were engraved in the 10th year of Zhenguan in the Tang Dynasty (636 AD). In order to commemorate the six war horses he rode in the founding war of the emperial China, King Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty ordered the painter Yan Liben to draw the figures of the six horses, and then the engraver Yan Lide copied and carved them on the stone. The great calligrapher Ouyang Xun of the time made the Tang The hymn book written by Taizong himself is on the upper corner of the original stone. After they were carved, they were placed in the altar at the northern foot of Zhaoling. In order, they are "Teqinqiao", "Qingzhui", "Shivachi", "Saluzi", "Quanmaojun" and "Baitiwu". Among them, two horses, "Sa Lu Zi" and "Fist Mao Jun", were dispersed overseas in 1914 and are now in the Museum of Archeology and Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn Museum) in the United States. Each piece of Zhaoling Six Horses is 2.5 meters high and 3 meters wide. The six horses are vividly reproduced on the stone slab in the form of high relief. Three of them are standing and three are galloping. They have handsome postures, valiant charm, vivid shapes, and expressive eyebrows. It can be said that "the king of Qin conquered the world with his cavalry, and the six horses were outstanding in painting but also worried." Mr. Lu Xun praised Six Horses as an "unprecedented" masterpiece.
636
Eleven-headed Guanyin (Ekadasamukha)
- Title Translation: 十一面观音 (依卡达萨穆哈)
- Period: Tang, 703 C.E.
- Project: Guangzhai Temple Qibaotai Pagoda
- Work Description: This image is one of a group of relief-carved stone Buddhist plinths from Huatasi temple, Xian (also known as Baoqingsi). The symmetrically arranged body and the flowing drapery lines are particularly beautiful, making this an important fundamental piece in the study of Chinese early Tang period Buddhist sculpture.
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
Qibaotai Pagoda/Baoqing Temple Buddhist Niches
- Title Translation: 七宝台塔/宝庆寺佛龛
- Period: Tang, 703 C.E.
- Project: Guangzhai Temple Qibaotai Pagoda
703
Fengxian Temple (Fengxiansi), Vairocana Buddha
- Title Translation: 奉先寺 , 毗卢遮那佛
- 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
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
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
Longmen Binyang Caves, exterior and entrances
- Title Translation: 龙门宾阳石窟 , 外部和入口
- Period: Northern Wei, Tang, 386–907 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).
386 - 907
Fragment of Guanyin of Eleven Heads
- Title Translation: 十一面观音残片
- Period: Tang, 703 C.E.
- Project: Guangzhai Temple Qibaotai Pagoda
- Work Description: In relief, within a recess; lower part, from knees downward, missing, and minor injuries.
703
Six Steeds of Zhao Mausoleum ("Zhaoling Liujun"), stone reliefs
- Title Translation: 昭陵六骏 , 浮雕石
- Period: Tang, 636 C.E.
- Project: Six Horses of Tang Taizong
- Work Description: The Six Horses reliefs were engraved in the 10th year of Zhenguan in the Tang Dynasty (636 AD). In order to commemorate the six war horses he rode in the founding war of the emperial China, King Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty ordered the painter Yan Liben to draw the figures of the six horses, and then the engraver Yan Lide copied and carved them on the stone. The great calligrapher Ouyang Xun of the time made the Tang The hymn book written by Taizong himself is on the upper corner of the original stone. After they were carved, they were placed in the altar at the northern foot of Zhaoling. In order, they are "Teqinqiao", "Qingzhui", "Shivachi", "Saluzi", "Quanmaojun" and "Baitiwu". Among them, two horses, "Sa Lu Zi" and "Fist Mao Jun", were dispersed overseas in 1914 and are now in the Museum of Archeology and Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn Museum) in the United States. Each piece of Zhaoling Six Horses is 2.5 meters high and 3 meters wide. The six horses are vividly reproduced on the stone slab in the form of high relief. Three of them are standing and three are galloping. They have handsome postures, valiant charm, vivid shapes, and expressive eyebrows. It can be said that "the king of Qin conquered the world with his cavalry, and the six horses were outstanding in painting but also worried." Mr. Lu Xun praised Six Horses as an "unprecedented" masterpiece.
636
Divine Guardian
- Title Translation: 守护神
- Period: Tang, 618–907 C.E.
- Project: Sculptures in Longmen Caves
- Work Description: Provenance: From the Longmen caves, Luoyang, Henan, China. 1936, exchanged with Yamanaka and Co., New York, by the MFA. (Accession Date: February 6, 1936)
618 - 907
Six Steeds of Zhao Mausoleum ("Zhaoling Liujun"), stone relief
- Title Translation: 昭陵六骏 , 浮雕石
- Period: Tang, 636 C.E.
- Project: Six Horses of Tang Taizong
- Work Description: The Six Horses reliefs were engraved in the 10th year of Zhenguan in the Tang Dynasty (636 AD). In order to commemorate the six war horses he rode in the founding war of the emperial China, King Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty ordered the painter Yan Liben to draw the figures of the six horses, and then the engraver Yan Lide copied and carved them on the stone. The great calligrapher Ouyang Xun of the time made the Tang The hymn book written by Taizong himself is on the upper corner of the original stone. After they were carved, they were placed in the altar at the northern foot of Zhaoling. In order, they are "Teqinqiao", "Qingzhui", "Shivachi", "Saluzi", "Quanmaojun" and "Baitiwu". Among them, two horses, "Sa Lu Zi" and "Fist Mao Jun", were dispersed overseas in 1914 and are now in the Museum of Archeology and Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn Museum) in the United States. Each piece of Zhaoling Six Horses is 2.5 meters high and 3 meters wide. The six horses are vividly reproduced on the stone slab in the form of high relief. Three of them are standing and three are galloping. They have handsome postures, valiant charm, vivid shapes, and expressive eyebrows. It can be said that "the king of Qin conquered the world with his cavalry, and the six horses were outstanding in painting but also worried." Mr. Lu Xun praised Six Horses as an "unprecedented" masterpiece.
636
The Buddha Amitābha with Two Attendants in a Niche
- Title Translation: 阿弥陀三尊佛龛
- Period: Tang, 703 C.E.
- Project: Guangzhai Temple Qibaotai Pagoda
703
The Buddha Amitābha with Two Attendants in a Niche
- Title Translation: 阿弥陀三尊佛龛
- Period: Tang, 703 C.E.
- Project: Guangzhai Temple Qibaotai Pagoda
703
649
Sa Lu Zi Steed (replica)
- Title Translation: 飒露紫
- Period: Tang, 649 C.E.
- Project: Six Horses of Tang Taizong
649
649
Quan Mao Gua Steed (replica)
- Title Translation: 拳毛騧
- Period: Tang, 649 C.E.
- Project: Six Horses of Tang Taizong
649
Fengxian Temple (Fengxiansi), Vaiśravana and Vajrapāṇi
- Title Translation: 奉先寺 , 毗沙门与金刚手菩萨
- 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
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