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Southern Xiangtangshan, seated buddha
- Title Translation: 南响堂山洞穴群 , 坐佛
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Xiangtangshan Caves
- Work Description: The two main groups of caves are known as Northern and Southern Xiangtangshan. The Northern Group, Bei Xiangtang, is the earliest and largest in scale and has three caves begun with imperial sponsorship; the Southern Group, Nan Xiangtang, has smaller caves numbered from one to seven; and a third site at Shuiyusi, also known as Xiao Xiangtang or “Little Xiangtang,” has one Northern Qi cave with sculptures.
Buddha with Two Attendants in a Niche
- Title Translation: 如来三尊佛龛
- Period: Tang, 704 C.E.
- Project: Guangzhai Temple Qibaotai Pagoda
Buddha with Two Attendants in a Niche
- Title Translation: 如来三尊佛龛
- Period: Tang, 703 C.E.
- Project: Guangzhai Temple Qibaotai Pagoda
Maitreya with Two Attendants in a Niche
- Title Translation: 弥勒三尊佛龛
- Period: Tang, 703 C.E.
- Project: Guangzhai Temple Qibaotai Pagoda
Southern Xiangtangshan, seated buddha
- Title Translation: 南响堂山洞穴群 , 坐佛
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Xiangtangshan Caves
- Work Description: The two main groups of caves are known as Northern and Southern Xiangtangshan. The Northern Group, Bei Xiangtang, is the earliest and largest in scale and has three caves begun with imperial sponsorship; the Southern Group, Nan Xiangtang, has smaller caves numbered from one to seven; and a third site at Shuiyusi, also known as Xiao Xiangtang or “Little Xiangtang,” has one Northern Qi cave with sculptures.
Southern Xiangtangshan, seated buddha
- Title Translation: 南响堂山洞穴群 , 坐佛
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Xiangtangshan Caves
- Work Description: The two main groups of caves are known as Northern and Southern Xiangtangshan. The Northern Group, Bei Xiangtang, is the earliest and largest in scale and has three caves begun with imperial sponsorship; the Southern Group, Nan Xiangtang, has smaller caves numbered from one to seven; and a third site at Shuiyusi, also known as Xiao Xiangtang or “Little Xiangtang,” has one Northern Qi cave with sculptures.
Buddha Head
- Title Translation: 佛头
- Period: unknown, unknown
- Project: Tianlongshan Caves
- Work Description: Because the Buddha head appears to be carved of limestone with the upper portion restored, it cannot be identified with any of the Tianlongshan caves.
Buddha with Two Attendants in a Niche
- Title Translation: 如来三尊佛龛
- Period: Tang, 703 C.E.
- Project: Guangzhai Temple Qibaotai Pagoda
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).
Southern Xiangtangshan, seated buddha
- Title Translation: 南响堂山洞穴群 , 坐佛
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Xiangtangshan Caves
- Work Description: The two main groups of caves are known as Northern and Southern Xiangtangshan. The Northern Group, Bei Xiangtang, is the earliest and largest in scale and has three caves begun with imperial sponsorship; the Southern Group, Nan Xiangtang, has smaller caves numbered from one to seven; and a third site at Shuiyusi, also known as Xiao Xiangtang or “Little Xiangtang,” has one Northern Qi cave with sculptures.
Buddha with Two Attendants in a Niche
- Title Translation: 如来三尊佛龛
- Period: Tang, 703 C.E.
- Project: Guangzhai Temple Qibaotai Pagoda
Buddha Head
- Title Translation: 佛头
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Xiangtangshan Caves
- Work Description: At the Xiangtangshan Buddhist sites in Hebei province, cave-temple construction and image-making were supported by the Northern Qi imperial court and nobility. Under the constant shadow of political uncertainty and the theory of the "Law of the Decadence" (or mofa, the deterioration of the True Law after the historical Buddha’s attainment of nirvana), the Buddhist faith was embraced as the ideal for rulership. The Buddha’s smile offers reassurance and consolation.
Southern Xiangtangshan, seated buddha
- Title Translation: 南响堂山洞穴群 , 坐佛
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Xiangtangshan Caves
- Work Description: The two main groups of caves are known as Northern and Southern Xiangtangshan. The Northern Group, Bei Xiangtang, is the earliest and largest in scale and has three caves begun with imperial sponsorship; the Southern Group, Nan Xiangtang, has smaller caves numbered from one to seven; and a third site at Shuiyusi, also known as Xiao Xiangtang or “Little Xiangtang,” has one Northern Qi cave with sculptures.
Southern Xiangtangshan, seated buddha
- Title Translation: 南响堂山洞穴群 , 坐佛
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Xiangtangshan Caves
- Work Description: The two main groups of caves are known as Northern and Southern Xiangtangshan. The Northern Group, Bei Xiangtang, is the earliest and largest in scale and has three caves begun with imperial sponsorship; the Southern Group, Nan Xiangtang, has smaller caves numbered from one to seven; and a third site at Shuiyusi, also known as Xiao Xiangtang or “Little Xiangtang,” has one Northern Qi cave with sculptures.
Southern Xiangtangshan, seated buddha
- Title Translation: 南响堂山洞穴群 , 坐佛
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Xiangtangshan Caves
- Work Description: The two main groups of caves are known as Northern and Southern Xiangtangshan. The Northern Group, Bei Xiangtang, is the earliest and largest in scale and has three caves begun with imperial sponsorship; the Southern Group, Nan Xiangtang, has smaller caves numbered from one to seven; and a third site at Shuiyusi, also known as Xiao Xiangtang or “Little Xiangtang,” has one Northern Qi cave with sculptures.
Southern Xiangtangshan, seated buddha
- Title Translation: 南响堂山洞穴群 , 坐佛
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Xiangtangshan Caves
- Work Description: The two main groups of caves are known as Northern and Southern Xiangtangshan. The Northern Group, Bei Xiangtang, is the earliest and largest in scale and has three caves begun with imperial sponsorship; the Southern Group, Nan Xiangtang, has smaller caves numbered from one to seven; and a third site at Shuiyusi, also known as Xiao Xiangtang or “Little Xiangtang,” has one Northern Qi cave with sculptures.
Southern Xiangtangshan, standing buddha
- Title Translation: 南响堂山洞穴群 , 立佛
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Xiangtangshan Caves
- Work Description: The two main groups of caves are known as Northern and Southern Xiangtangshan. The Northern Group, Bei Xiangtang, is the earliest and largest in scale and has three caves begun with imperial sponsorship; the Southern Group, Nan Xiangtang, has smaller caves numbered from one to seven; and a third site at Shuiyusi, also known as Xiao Xiangtang or “Little Xiangtang,” has one Northern Qi cave with sculptures.
Southern Xiangtangshan, thousand buddhas
- Title Translation: 南响堂山洞穴群 , 千佛
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Xiangtangshan Caves
- Work Description: The two main groups of caves are known as Northern and Southern Xiangtangshan. The Northern Group, Bei Xiangtang, is the earliest and largest in scale and has three caves begun with imperial sponsorship; the Southern Group, Nan Xiangtang, has smaller caves numbered from one to seven; and a third site at Shuiyusi, also known as Xiao Xiangtang or “Little Xiangtang,” has one Northern Qi cave with sculptures.
Buddha with Two Attendants in a Niche
- Title Translation: 如来三尊佛龛
- Period: Tang, 703 C.E.
- Project: Guangzhai Temple Qibaotai Pagoda
Buddha Head
- Title Translation: 佛头
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Xiangtangshan Caves
- Work Description: Stone head of Buddha. Stone with traces of pigment. The long earlobes of the Buddha are a reminder of the heavy earrings that he wore before renouncing material things to seek enlightenment. His rounded cheeks are meant to resemble those of a lion, an animal that is praised for its power and associated with Sakyamuni, the historical Buddha. The ushnisha, or cranial protuberance which may have originally been based on a topknot or turban, is considered a mark of wisdom. The urna, or marking on the forehead, is an all seeing eye. Finally the wavy hair of the Buddha suggests Greco Roman influence a departure from the conventional curls typical of Chinese sculptures at the time.
Buddha Head
- Title Translation: 佛头
- Period: Northern Qi, 550-577 C.E.
- Project: Xiangtangshan Caves
- Work Description: Traces of pigment accentuate the eyebrows, eyes and mouth of this huge head. The hairstyle is typical of the historical Buddha Sakyamuni, with tight curls and the prominent usnisa or topknot. The mark on the forehead, expressing wisdom and openness, originally incorporated an impressive jewel. Once part of a monumental figure in a cave complex, the head would have looked down from high. Its symmetrical composition and serene expression would have inspired Buddhist followers standing below.