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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). 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.
Bodhisattva Standing
- Title Translation: 立菩萨
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The bodhisattva stands with right hand raised holding something with the thumb and forefinger.
Guardian Head
- Title Translation: 天王、护法力士头
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The guardian head is from an unknown location.
Bodhisattva Head
- Title Translation: 菩萨头
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: This head, whose current location is unknown, is believed to be the original head of the standing bodhisattva in the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco.
Cave 16
- Title Translation: 第十六窟
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: Cave 16 is the most important Northern Qi cave at the Tianlongshan site. The porch still has elements of post and lintel construction and bracketing supporting the overhanging eave that derive from construction in wood. The interior had fine sculptures that partially remain. The cave is now inaccessible from the path, which may account for its relatively good state of preservation.
Cave 4
- Title Translation: 第四窟
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: Cave 4 is a small cave of the Tang dynasty. The existing porch in front of the entrance is about 1.5 meters wide. There were originally seven sculpted figures in the cave, a seated Buddha on the back wall, two seated bodhisattvas in the corners on the east and west side, and four standing figures. Most have been cut away.
Cave 4
- Title Translation: 第四窟
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: Cave 4 is a small cave of the Tang dynasty. The existing porch in front of the entrance is about 1.5 meters wide. There were originally seven sculpted figures in the cave, a seated Buddha on the back wall, two seated bodhisattvas in the corners on the east and west side, and four standing figures. Most have been cut away.
Cave 4
- Title Translation: 第四窟
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: Cave 4 is a small cave of the Tang dynasty. The existing porch in front of the entrance is about 1.5 meters wide. There were originally seven sculpted figures in the cave, a seated Buddha on the back wall, two seated bodhisattvas in the corners on the east and west side, and four standing figures. Most have been cut away.
Cave 5
- Title Translation: 第五窟
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: Cave 5 is a small Tang dynasty cave whose front wall is now missing so that its original plan and contents are now unknown. Two seated images remain, a Buddha and bodhisattva.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Cave 14
- Title Translation: 第十四窟
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: Cave 14 is a Tang cave that had finely carved sculptures, many of which are now in collections outside China
Cave 17
- Title Translation: 第十七窟
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: Cave 17 directly adjacent to Cave 16 to the west, is one of the most important Tang dynasty caves and had a stele carved on the east side of the porch whose inscription is now entirely unreadable. The porch formerly had two muscular lishi figures guarding the entrance that are now missing. The interior chamber is about two meters square in plan with a low altar around three walls on which there were thirteen fine sculptural images—three seated Buddhas, four standing bodhisattvas, and six seated bodhisattvas. The figures are distinctive in their appearance, and they were well preserved a century ago. As a result, they were targeted, and numerous fragments taken from Cave 17 are known in museums outside China. To the west of Cave 17 and slightly below are two small carved relief stupas that were probably made to hold relics of the deceased. The openings in the stupa chamber are now empty.