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476 - 500 of 507 Records
Bodhisattva Head
- Title Translation: 菩萨头
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: This head is believed to be from a standing bodhisattva in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Its current situation is unknown.
Bodhisattva Head
- Title Translation: 菩萨头
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The head is known only from a 1928 sales catalog of Yamanaka and Co.
Bodhisattva Head
- Title Translation: 菩萨头
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The head is from the west wall of Cave 16.
Buddha Head
- Title Translation: 佛头
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: This Buddha head is believed to be from Cave 4.
Bodhisattva Head
- Title Translation: 菩萨头
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The photograph of this fine head of a bodhisattva on the west wall of Cave 14 in the early 1920s shows that it was missing the topknot and nose which have not been repaired.
Bodhisattva Head
- Title Translation: 菩萨头
- Period: Sui, 581-618 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The bodhisattva head is from a standing figure on the east wall of Cave 8.
Bodhisattva Head
- Title Translation: 菩萨头
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: This finely carved head is from a standing bodhisattva on the west wall of Cave 14. The figure to which it belongs is in the Museum Rietberg.
Buddha Head
- Title Translation: 佛头
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The head is from the seated Buddha on the west wall of Cave 18.
Buddha Head, 3D model
- Title Translation: 佛头 , 3D 模型
- 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.
Buddha Seated, 3D model
- Title Translation: 坐佛 , 3D 模型
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: Buddhas seated in this pose can be identified as Maitreya, the Buddha of the future. The figure is believed to be from the upper level Cave 3.
Bodhisattva Head, 3D model
- Title Translation: 菩萨头 , 3D 模型
- 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.
Buddha Head, 3D model
- Title Translation: 佛头 , 3D 模型
- 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.
Buddha Head, 3D model
- Title Translation: 佛头 , 3D 模型
- Period: Sui, 581-618 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The small head is carved of a reddish sandstone and has not been identified with any cave at Tianlongshan.
Bodhisattva Standing, 3D model
- Title Translation: 立菩萨 , 3D 模型
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The standing bodhisattva is believed to be from the east wall, north side, Cave 18.
Bodhisattva Head, 3D model
- Title Translation: 菩萨头 , 3D 模型
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: This finely carved head is from a standing bodhisattva on the west wall of Cave 14. The figure to which it belongs is in the Museum Rietberg.
Buddha Head, 3D model
- Title Translation: 佛头 , 3D 模型
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The head is from the seated Buddha on the west wall of Cave 18.
Bodhisattva Head, 3D model
- Title Translation: 菩萨头 , 3D 模型
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The head of the bodhisattva is missing its topknot. Other heads from Cave 18 have had the topknot restored.
Buddha Head
- Title Translation: 佛头
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: This Buddha head was originally belonged to the seated Buddha worshipped as the principal deity in a niche on the right wall of Tianlongshan Cave 1 in Shanxi Province, constructed in the Northern Qi period (550-577 CE). The cave is carved into the rock face of the eastern peak of Mount Tianlongshan. It comprises a front verandah imitating timber-structure architecture, and a main chamber with truncated pyramidal ceiling. The main chamber has niches carved on three sides. The Buddhas’ heads enshrined in them are all gone. The large niche with an arched opening on the right wall is carved with the one Buddha and two Bodhisattvas Triad. The statue’s body, to which this head belongs, still sits inside this cave. This Buddha head has a slightly domed uṣṇīṣa, smooth plain hair, an oblong face with fleshy round cheeks, a low forehead, relatively close-set eyes with lifted outer corners and curvilinear upper and lower eyelids, lips with droopy corners hinting no smile, and a dignified and solemn countenance. The statue to which this head belongs, as seen inside the cave, wears a kāṣāya with collars hanging down from both shoulders, over an undergarment (saṃkakṣikā) held in placed by a girdle knotted in front of the chest. The status is seated with legs locked in ‘lotus posture’ (padmāsana) on a stepped pedestal. The right elbow is bent, and the right hand, possibly in ‘fearless gesture’ (abhayamudrā), is gone. The missing left hand was likely to be in ‘wish granting gesture’ (varadamudrā). The statue has a robust build with thick broad shoulders, a stout flat chest and a slightly protruding belly. Compare with their Eastern Wei (534-550 CE) predecessors, Buddhist statuary of the Northern Qi period have more delicately depicted facial features and more emphasis on portraying the massiveness and body’s structure, setting a new standard for the new era. This Buddha head of the Northern Qi period from Tianlongshan is a representative example of this trend.
Disciple Hands
- Title Translation: 弟子手
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Xiangtangshan Caves
- Work Description: The Xiangtangshan Caves located in the Fengfeng Mining District in Handan, Hebei Province, are clustered in two groups: Northern and Southern Xiangtangshan. They represent the finest of grotto art produced in the Northern Qi dynasty (550-577 CE). This pair of limestone hands originally belonged to the Middle Cave at Northern Xiangtangshan, constructed during the reign of Emperor Wenxuan (550-559) of the Northern Qi dynasty. The cave is a huge central-pillared cave with a corridor in front of a main chamber, the second largest of all caves at Xiangtangshan. Old pictures have shown that this fragmented piece originally belonged to the left acolyte disciple of a grouping featuring Śākyamuni Buddha flanked by two Bodhisattvas and two disciples in the large niche at the front of the central pillar. This disciple’s lean and rather aged face suggests that he is Mahākāśyapa, one of the ten principal disciples of Śākyamuni. He was deemed the foremost in ascetic dhūta practice. Before the Buddha passed away, he entrusted Mahākāśyapa with the task of imparting the Buddhist Dharma. After the Buddha entered parinirvāṇa, Mahākāśyapa became the head of the monastic community and convened the First Council at Rājagṛha for compiling Buddhist canon. Thereafter, he continued to lead the monastic community for more than two decades. Although fragmented, this work is amazingly realistic. The left hand with palm up is holding a reliquary, while the fingers of the right hand are pressing against the lid. Both hands are soft and fleshy, as if boneless. The fingers are nimble, and the curvature of each finger differs. It is worth noting that the carver did not illustrate the knuckles, but rather, greatly emphasising the softness and texture of the hands. The fingernails are also finely represented. The hands look fleshy but not chubby; the gesture natural and lively. Overall, the carver’s superb artistry is well demonstrated.
Buddha Triad from Rulai Hall (Rulaidian, Tathagatha Hall or Shakyamuni Hall), Brahma Buddha
- Title Translation: 如来殿三圣 , 大梵天
- Period: Ming, c. 1444 C.E.
- Project: Beijing Zhihua Temple
- Work Description: Shakyamuni Buddha is the large central figure, finely carved, covered in gold, and more than four meters high. He displays the same pose as the central Buddha in the Zhihua Hall, with right hand touching the earth in front of him. On the walls around there are countless Buddhist figures set into small niches. Shakyamuni is accompanied by two tall, crowned figures, standing at his sides, who wear long richly ornamented robes, unlike the plain robe of the Buddha. The robes have painted patterns of birds, peonies, dragons, and lions that simulate embroidery and finely woven textiles. The figure at the Buddha’s right or west side is Indra 帝释天, the king of Hindu gods, who holds a large scepter. The one at the Buddha’s left, is the Hindu god Brahma 大梵天. The appearance of the Buddha together with Hindu gods Brahma and Indra is very unusual in Chinese Buddhist art, but can be identified with textual accounts of the Buddha’s life. The earth-touching pose, bhumisparsha mudra, is associated with a key event in the prince Sakyamuni’s life, his achievement of enlightenment through profound meditation years after renouncing his privileged existence in order to seek the truth. Many depictions of the Buddha in the history of Asian art depict him seated in this pose to represent the moment, when on the verge of attaining enlightenment, the demon god Mara summoned a hoard of subordinate demons to distract him. By touching the earth, Shakyamuni called upon the earth goddess to witness his merit and overcome the demons. In the Rulai Hall, however, Mara’s demons are absent. The presence of the gods Brahma and Indra refer not to the moment prior to the enlightenment, but to events following the Buddha’s enlightenment when Brahma and Indra, along with many other gods, came to the Buddha to implore him to show others the way to achieve wisdom in a world full of ignorance. The Buddha therefore began to teach and gathered a following of disciples.
Buddha Triad from Rulai Hall (Rulaidian, Tathagatha Hall or Shakyamuni Hall), Brahma Buddha
- Title Translation: 如来殿三圣 , 大梵天
- Period: Ming, c. 1444 C.E.
- Project: Beijing Zhihua Temple
- Work Description: Shakyamuni Buddha is the large central figure, finely carved, covered in gold, and more than four meters high. He displays the same pose as the central Buddha in the Zhihua Hall, with right hand touching the earth in front of him. On the walls around there are countless Buddhist figures set into small niches. Shakyamuni is accompanied by two tall, crowned figures, standing at his sides, who wear long richly ornamented robes, unlike the plain robe of the Buddha. The robes have painted patterns of birds, peonies, dragons, and lions that simulate embroidery and finely woven textiles. The figure at the Buddha’s right or west side is Indra 帝释天, the king of Hindu gods, who holds a large scepter. The one at the Buddha’s left, is the Hindu god Brahma 大梵天. The appearance of the Buddha together with Hindu gods Brahma and Indra is very unusual in Chinese Buddhist art, but can be identified with textual accounts of the Buddha’s life. The earth-touching pose, bhumisparsha mudra, is associated with a key event in the prince Sakyamuni’s life, his achievement of enlightenment through profound meditation years after renouncing his privileged existence in order to seek the truth. Many depictions of the Buddha in the history of Asian art depict him seated in this pose to represent the moment, when on the verge of attaining enlightenment, the demon god Mara summoned a hoard of subordinate demons to distract him. By touching the earth, Shakyamuni called upon the earth goddess to witness his merit and overcome the demons. In the Rulai Hall, however, Mara’s demons are absent. The presence of the gods Brahma and Indra refer not to the moment prior to the enlightenment, but to events following the Buddha’s enlightenment when Brahma and Indra, along with many other gods, came to the Buddha to implore him to show others the way to achieve wisdom in a world full of ignorance. The Buddha therefore began to teach and gathered a following of disciples.
Sangharama Bodhisattva in Zhihua Hall (Zhihuadian, Hall of Transforming Wisdom), front
- Title Translation: 智化殿伽蓝菩萨 , 正面
- Period: Ming, c. 1444 C.E.
- Project: Beijing Zhihua Temple
- Work Description: Sangharama, also known by the name Guan Yu, refers to a "temple" or "monastery." In Chinese Buddhism, Guan Yu is revered by most practising Buddhists as a heavenly protector of the Buddhist dharma.
Revolving Sutra Cabinet (Zhuanlun Jingzang, or Scripture Cabinet) in Sutra Hall (Zangdian, or Scripture Hall), elephanet figure on the column
- Title Translation: 藏殿转轮经藏 , 大象形象
- Period: Ming, c. 1444 C.E.
- Project: Beijing Zhihua Temple
- Work Description: “Revolving Sutra Cabinet” (zhuanlun jingzang) is an octagonal sutra cabinet. It has a stone plinth supporting the wooden cabinets and does not revolve. A Vairocana Buddha seated on a lotus is positioned right at the center on top of the sutra cabinet. The off-center position of the sutra cabinet turns out to be a calculated decision, as it creates enough space and angle for a visitor to see the Vairocana Buddha right before s/he enters the hall.
Revolving Sutra Cabinet (Zhuanlun Jingzang, or Scripture Cabinet) in Sutra Hall (Zangdian, or Scripture Hall), central ceiling coffer
- Title Translation: 藏殿转轮经藏 , 中央吊顶柜
- Period: Ming, c. 1444 C.E.
- Project: Beijing Zhihua Temple
- Work Description: “Revolving Sutra Cabinet” (zhuanlun jingzang) is an octagonal sutra cabinet. It has a stone plinth supporting the wooden cabinets and does not revolve. A Vairocana Buddha seated on a lotus is positioned right at the center on top of the sutra cabinet. The off-center position of the sutra cabinet turns out to be a calculated decision, as it creates enough space and angle for a visitor to see the Vairocana Buddha right before s/he enters the hall.
Revolving Sutra Cabinet (Zhuanlun Jingzang, or Scripture Cabinet) in Sutra Hall (Zangdian, or Scripture Hall), front and side
- Title Translation: 藏殿转轮经藏 , 正面和侧面
- Period: Ming, c. 1444 C.E.
- Project: Beijing Zhihua Temple
- Work Description: “Revolving Sutra Cabinet” (zhuanlun jingzang) is an octagonal sutra cabinet. It has a stone plinth supporting the wooden cabinets and does not revolve. A Vairocana Buddha seated on a lotus is positioned right at the center on top of the sutra cabinet. The off-center position of the sutra cabinet turns out to be a calculated decision, as it creates enough space and angle for a visitor to see the Vairocana Buddha right before s/he enters the hall.