Page 12 - jingyatang sculptures march2018

BUDDHIST IMAGES:

MASTERWORKS OF CHINESE SCULPTURE

ऊ·Ɏ:ġř܉ຫ⋒ǟ

REGINA KRAHL

֖ᢥම

Buddhism was introduced to China in the Han dynasty (206 BC – AD 220), but was ҈᪆᫩⑏Аנڒ͚స喑㜠ڙٰᒹఈ̓㈭喑䪸໸ᐐ∈
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embraced as a religion by a larger proportion of the population only from the 4 century נ᧚喑ԎⱫ๔㺼὎෋ߍȡڣᒹ᪥⮫Ꭱ䫀喑↌ᆞࢄࡄ
onwards. It expanded rapidly in the following centuries, when the country was divided
ιܳ喑҈᪆⮩ᆂ䓲䕌喑᫩ࡄ偼᭯᱌ᅑڣ㜵Ⰸ喑᭯䀥
into northern and southern dynasties. It ! ourished particularly under the non-Chinese
ፊᓎБ㸪҉ऱᐼ҈׼喑็㇫⣺͸৮喑ຍ⿸͚స҈᪆
(Tuoba Wei) emperors of the Northern Wei dynasty (386-534), who commissioned some
㬊㶀ڥヱȡ҈᪆נڒ͚ౌᒹ喑ა๶⪣᱊๖ၽ◧≨
of the " nest examples of Buddhist art in China. Buddhist adepts cleverly supported
҈喑ᬖ᱌҈׼ᰡ㺸ᰶӊ偼ፊᒏ䆎㔹䕍㔲喑ₑ㜶⢟ᓄ
imperial patronage by claiming that the emperor was the living Buddha. To reinforce this
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connection some early Buddhist statues were made to resemble Wei emperors. In the 5 ⪣᭯㊞⇨䮻㉇๔߈ᩜᠮ喑ᩲ᫩ρȠښ̓㈭᱌䫀喑͚
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and 6 centuries the number of Buddhist temples, monasteries and nunneries in China స҈ᄧȠؔ䮏ࣷᏢയ᪥䛼๔෋ȡ
increased dramatically.
⩅㖲᪓♹㣘倅⿌ࡰ҈≋喑໸ᐧ᫩ఈ̓㈭喑ᆙ͚సᰭ
Among the " rst cave temples to be constructed were the Qianfodong (Thousand ᬖⴠ⿌͸̭喑ⴠ䰂Ƞ෮⪘Ⱬ็喑Ả◧⣺䇡ȡڙٰ
Buddha Caves) at the Mogao Grottoes near Dunhuang in Gansu, which were begun in Ꭱ喑ࡄ偼㜗ⰈἯ喍Ϸڔ㧆ऑ喎䖤䘪Ꭰ೻喍Ϸᆞ
the 4 century and are remarkable not only for their rich sculptures but also their wall 㺬๔ह喎喑䯕ࢠ᫩䰟ᇎ䪸䦬ρ⿌喑ڣͨ҈׼䕍ಸ喑
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paintings. In 398, when the Wei moved their capital from Inner Mongolia to Pingcheng,
ᨇנ᭜ӊ⚔ౕѺैͨࣷڣٵ⮴㔹㸪ȡₑⴠ⿌㓑喑⅐
present Datong in Shanxi, they soon commissioned a complex of " ve cave temples at
ࠏᖏႼ喑ผ叄㤜ն喑ⴠ⿌㈱ι⮫ρ࡮็Ը喑҈׼䕫
Yungang nearby, whose main Buddhas are said to resemble the young emperor and
ρ㥙็ᄷ喑ͨ㺮ᐧ᫩ࡄ偼᪴᜽ࣷႊ᪴ږ᱊喑Ͱ͚స
his four predecessors on the throne. Eventually the complex became one of the richest
҈᪆㬊㶀͸⦝ᄣ喑ᅑ◧䛺㺮ȡ
ensembles of Buddhist art in China, comprising some 250 caves with over 50,000
sculptures, the majority constructed between the reign of Emperor Wencheng (r. 452-
465) and that of Emperor Xiaowen (r. 471-499).
10 JINGYATANG: TREASURES OF CHINESE BUDDHIST SCULPTURE