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151 - 175 of 429 Records
Cave 15
- Title Translation: 第十五窟
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: Cave 15 is a small Tang dynasty cave formerly with muscular guardian figures standing at the entrance. Very few sculptural traces remain inside the cave.
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
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 9
- Title Translation: 第九窟
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: Cave 9 was cut into the eastern edge of the western section at Tianlongshan in the Tang dynasty. It consists of a huge niche with two levels. The upper level is set back and has a massive colossal Maitreya Buddha image more than 7.5 meters high, seated with his back against the cliff and his head reaching nearly to the cliff top. The lower level has three large bodhisattvas carved in the round, a central standing eleven-headed Avalokitesvara (Guanyin) and two seated bodhisattvas at the sides, each riding on an animal. The Guanyin figure stands 5.5 meters high. Its head is a modern replacement for the original one. The bodhisattva on the east side, mounted on an elephant, is Samantabhadra (Puxian), and the one on the west side, sitting on a lion, is Manjusri (Wenshu). The large group of carvings is protected by a tall wooden structure that was reconstructed in recent times. The original building, believed to be from the Tang, was repaired in the tenth century, as recorded on the stele dated 975 preserved at the site.
Cave 13
- Title Translation: 第十三窟
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: Cave 13 is a rather shallow niche, created in the Tang dynasty.
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 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 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 6
- Title Translation: 第六窟
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: Cave 6 is a small square cave of the Tang period that had nine sculpted images on the interior, with a central seated Buddha on the back and side walls accompanied by bodhisattvas and disciples. On the exterior the traces of two guardian figures appear at the sides of the entrance. The exterior still has a small porch in front.
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 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 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 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.
Tianlongshan Caves
- Title Translation: 天龙山石窟
- Period: Eastern Wei, Northern Qi, Sui, Tang, 534-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
Tianlongshan Caves
- Title Translation: 天龙山石窟
- Period: Eastern Wei, Northern Qi, Sui, Tang, 534-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
Buddha Seated
- Title Translation: 坐佛
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The Buddha sits in meditation with his right hand extended downward in the gesture of bhumispara (earth touching).
Bodhisattva Seated
- Title Translation: 坐菩萨
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The unusually well-preserved bodhisattva figure seated in royal ease has one hand raised, holding a jewel.
Buddha Seated
- Title Translation: 坐佛
- Period: Tang, 618-907 C.E.
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: The Buddha seated with feet resting on small supports at the base of the throne is probably Maitreya, Buddha of the future age.
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 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.