Late Prehistoric China | Bronze Age China | Chu and Other Cultures | Early Imperial China
Teaching Activities | Resources | Chronology | Pronunciation Guide/Glossary
|
object 18 |
previous | next 
object 18 of 20 Table of Contents
This is one of several hundred freestanding statues and steles found in the excavated ruins of temple and monastery sites at Qingzhou in Shandong province. Among the most recent finds from Qingzhou are works originating from the Northern Wei (386-534 A.D.) to the Northern Song (A.D. 960-1127) dynasties, a span of more than seven hundred years. They allow scholars to compare changes in style and iconography in a region that must have been a center of Buddhist activity for centuries. The fact that the statues were found broken and buried in layers raises many questions about the history of the site.
This stele was found in 1994, broken into seven pieces. The central figure of the Buddha and the two attendant bodhisattvas (beings who have deferred enlightenment to assist mankind) are sculpted in high relief against a mandorla, or flaming halo. The Buddha extends his hands in the gestures (called mudras) that signify "have no fear" (hand up) and "gift-giving" (hand out, facing down). The flanking bodhisattvas, each holding a small treasure box, stand gracefully on lotus pods supported by lions. The seven small figures above the Buddha and bodhisattvas are apsaras, attendants whose bodies and fluttering ribbons convey a sense of movement. The ribbons end in flame patterns that signify light emanating from the Buddha.
The figures stand erect and are slightly elongated. Their faces convey a slight smile, and their robes flare into fish tails at the hems. The stele retains some of its original paint. The base color is vermilion, with added green, blue, and ocher. Traces of gold appear on the Buddha's face, hands, and feet.
The Northern Wei were minority rulers who adopted Buddhism as a means of uniting the country. Aristocrats commissioned works of Buddhist art as a way to bring honor to the ruling family and to their own family or ancestors, and ensure their salvation. The image of this Buddha, surrounded by compassionate attendants, emanating light and color, would have conveyed serenity and calm. Buddhist doctrines, and the images associated with them, offered salvation and hope during a time of division and internal strife in China.
previous | next object 18 of 20 Table of Contents