Page 140 - China, 5000 years : innovation and transformation in the arts

Fig. 12. Fragments of sculptures. Dated to 5ig (Northern
Wei dynasty). Stone. Pagoda oftheYongning Temple,
Luoyang, Henan Province.

coming to. Zhen said to Jian, "The Liang is a Fig. 13. Figures of patrons. Mid-6th c. Rock carvings.
nation which follows the rites, they have Dalishan cave-temples, Gong county, Henan Province.
bodhisattvas and observe the rules and customs,
and they preach the correct ways. Let us go (fig. 13). From the late Wei, this trend became
there." . . .Jian said, "The moment is not to be
lost. I have also had the same intention." So in pronounced. The "Biography of Du Bi" in
the second year of the Putong period of the
Liang (521) they headed south together. volume 24 of the Beiqi shu ("History of the
Zhen was overtaken by pursuing cavalry and Northern Qi") records the following conversation
killed. . . . [Jian then] travelled to the kingdom
in the south and reached Jiangyin, where he that Gao Huanping had with Du Bi after he
lived in the Heyuan Temple. 17
pacified the capital, Luoyang (532):
Given that the polities of southern China were
Bi noted that when Wenwu reigned, there was
perceived as authentically Chinese and admirable, it
a level of clean government seldom seen, and
naturally became the fashion among artistic circles he mentioned it to Emperor Gaozu. Gaozu

in central and northern China to emulate the new said, "Come here, Bi, let me tell you something.

styles of the south. Thus, after the eighth month of It has long been the custom for the country to

519 a group of sculptures was made and placed be corrupt and chaotic. Nowadays many of the
generals' families live west of the pass where
within the pagoda of the Yongning Temple, built by
Heita [i.e.,YuwenTai] is constantly beckoning
the Northern Wei royal family at Luoyang. lS The to them, and it is unclear if their loyalties will
be to stay or to go. In East China there is an
surviving heads are about seven centimeters high,
old man named XiaoYan living in Wu who
and greatly resemble those of the Liang dynasty
specializes in the proper dress and rites. The
(fig. TheI9 trend toward simpler draperies and gentry of the central plains regard him as the

1 2).

fleshier bodies is increasingly evident in the slightly

later figures of patrons from caves 1, 4, and 3 of the

Dalishan caves in Gong county, Henan Province

ORIGINS AND TRENDS IN THE DEPICTION OF HUMAN FIGURES