Showing  1201 - 1225 of 3478 Records

Showing  1201 - 1225 of 3478 Records
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.

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.

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.

Cave 2
  • Title Translation: 第二窟
  • Period: Eastern Wei, 534-550 C.E.
  • Project: Tianlongshan Caves
  • Work Description: Cave 2 and 3, the paired caves, are believed to be from the Eastern Wei period and are the earliest caves at Tianlongshan. They are located on the eastern side of the Tianlongshan caves site and below the upper level caves. Cave 2 is on the right. The caves are distinctive for the many relief carvings on the walls and ceiling, most of which have been removed.

Cave 2
  • Title Translation: 第二窟
  • Period: Eastern Wei, 534-550 C.E.
  • Project: Tianlongshan Caves
  • Work Description: Cave 2 and 3, the paired caves, are believed to be from the Eastern Wei period and are the earliest caves at Tianlongshan. They are located on the eastern side of the Tianlongshan caves site and below the upper level caves. Cave 2 is on the right. The caves are distinctive for the many relief carvings on the walls and ceiling, most of which have been removed.

Cave 3
  • Title Translation: 第三窟
  • Period: Eastern Wei, 534-550 C.E.
  • Project: Tianlongshan Caves
  • Work Description: Like Cave 2, Cave 3 has a square plan with Buddha and bodhisattva images with relief carvings on three walls.

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.

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 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.

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 19
  • Title Translation: 第十九窟
  • Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
  • Project: Tianlongshan Caves

Cave 19
  • Title Translation: 第十九窟
  • Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
  • Project: Tianlongshan Caves

Cave 21
  • Title Translation: 第二十一窟
  • Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
  • Project: Tianlongshan Caves
  • Work Description: Cave 21 is the largest Tang dynasty cave with the exception of Cave 9. It now has traces of only a single larger than life-sized seated Buddha on the north (back) wall and five standing attendants (Photograph. Li 2003, color pl. 21). The cave is damaged by a large fissure in the stone that cuts across the east and west walls, thus the stone may not have been suitable for sculpting. It is possible that some of the figures formerly made for the cave were not attached to the walls, but carved separately and placed into the cave.

Cave 21
  • Title Translation: 第二十一窟
  • Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
  • Project: Tianlongshan Caves
  • Work Description: Cave 21 is the largest Tang dynasty cave with the exception of Cave 9. It now has traces of only a single larger than life-sized seated Buddha on the north (back) wall and five standing attendants (Photograph. Li 2003, color pl. 21). The cave is damaged by a large fissure in the stone that cuts across the east and west walls, thus the stone may not have been suitable for sculpting. It is possible that some of the figures formerly made for the cave were not attached to the walls, but carved separately and placed into the cave.

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.

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.

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.

Tianlongshan Caves
  • Title Translation: 天龙山石窟
  • Period: Eastern Wei, 534-907 C.E.
  • Project: Tianlongshan Caves

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.

Cave 3
  • Title Translation: 第三窟
  • Period: Eastern Wei, 534-550 C.E.
  • Project: Tianlongshan Caves
  • Work Description: Like Cave 2, Cave 3 has a square plan with Buddha and bodhisattva images with relief carvings on three walls.

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.

Cave 21
  • Title Translation: 第二十一窟
  • Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
  • Project: Tianlongshan Caves
  • Work Description: Cave 21 is the largest Tang dynasty cave with the exception of Cave 9. It now has traces of only a single larger than life-sized seated Buddha on the north (back) wall and five standing attendants (Photograph. Li 2003, color pl. 21). The cave is damaged by a large fissure in the stone that cuts across the east and west walls, thus the stone may not have been suitable for sculpting. It is possible that some of the figures formerly made for the cave were not attached to the walls, but carved separately and placed into the cave.