Unit 5: Arts of the Silk Road

Expansion of Buddhist Art through Asia

Chinese Turkestan/Serindia/Xinjiang

Han Dynasty: 206 B.C.E.-220 C.E.

Six Dynasties: 220-589 C.E

Northern Dynasties: 317-581 C.E.

Northern Wei (386-534)

Western Wei (535-556) and Eastern Wei (534-550)

Northern Qi (550-577) and Northern Zhou (557-581)

Southern Dynasties: 420-589 C.E.

Sui: 589-618 C.E.

Tang: 618-907 C.E.

Bamiyan, Western Colossal Buddha, Afghanistan, c.4^th-5^th CE, 53.3m

Lee fig. 191

Standing Buddha.  Red sandstone, 63” (160 cm).  Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India.  Gupta period, early 5^th century CE.  National Museum, New Delhi.

The Great Buddha at Bingling Temple, Gansu, China. 5^th century. 100m.

Miran, Xinjiang, China.  Late 3^rd cent.

Dandan Uiliq, Xinjiang, China, 5^th-6^th century

Kizil (Qyzil) Caves and ground plan of Cave 38, Kuqa (Kucha), Northern Silk Road. 4^th – 7^th c.

Kizil, Xinjiang, China

Kizil Cave 38 Entrance

Kizil Cave 38 Front Chamber

Kizil Cave 38 Rear Chamber

Cremation of the Buddha, Cave 224, 7^th c.

Bezeklik, Xinjiang, China. 8^th-10^th century

Shakyamuni & Prabhutaratna, gilt bronze, China. Northern Wei, 518 C.E., h. 10 1/4'', Lee fig. 205 

Shakyamuni and Prabhutaratna, from Hebei Province, Northern Wei dynasty, 518. Gilded bronze, 10 1/4” high. Musée Guimet, Paris.

Elongated Style

Shrine, gilt bronze, China. Northern Wei, 524 C.E. Metropolitan Museum

Elongated Style

Altarpiece with Amitabha and attendants, from Xi’an(?), China, Sui dynasty, 593 CE. Gilt bronze, 2’ 6 1/8” high. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (gift of Mrs. W. Scott Fitz and Edward Jackson Holmes, 1922).

Bodhisattva, stone, Xinagtangshan cave. Northern Qi dynasty, 6^th c. C.E.

Columnar Style

Bodhisattva, stone, 580 C.E. Northern Zhou period, 249cm, MFA Boston

Yungang Cave 20, Colossal Buddha, Stone, China

Yungang Cave 7

Yungang Caves 10 & 11

Shakyamuni seated on the lion throne.  477 CE. Gilt bronze. 16” (40.3cm). China, Six Dynasties Period, Northern Wei Dynasty.

Longmen, Henan, China. Northern Wei-Tang Dynasty

Emperor Xiaowen as Donor, Northern Wei Dynasty, ca 522-523. Limestone with traces of paint, h. 6’ 10” X 12’ 11”. Binyang Chapel, Longmen Grottoes, Luoyang, Henan Province. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Longmen Diagram

Binyang Central, main altar

Binyang Central, Side Walls

Longmen, Binyang central cave, Seated Buddha, limestone, 

Northern Wei, c. 523 CE. h. 21'

Longmen, Cave13, Sculptured niche,

Northern Wei dynasty, Dedicated 527CE

Lee fig. 202

Fengxiansi

Colossal Attendants of the Buddha, Tang Dynasty, 660-676.  Limestone, h. 57ft (17m).  Fengxian Temple, Cave 19, Longmen Grottoes, Luoyang, Henan Province.

Vairochana Buddha, limestone, China. Tang period (675 C.E.), Fengxian temple, Longmen, Cave 19, 13.4 m 

Location of Dunhuang

Mogao Caves at Dunhuang

Mahasattva Jataka (Previous Life of the Buddha as Prince Mahasattva), Northern Zhou Dynasty, ca 557-581.  Mural.  Cave 428, Mogao Grottoes, Dunhuang, Gansu Province.

Cave 220, mid 7^th cent.

South Wall:  Western Paradise of Amitabha Buddha → Bottom side

North Wall:  Eastern Paradise of Medicine Buddha → Top side

East Wall: Vimalakirti and Manjusri → entrance

Altar in Cave 196. Painted and Gilded Clay sculptures, dry fresco walls and ceiling. Dunhuang, China. 8^th c

Bodhisattva Guanyin as the Guide of Souls, hanging scroll from Cave 17, Dunhuang, China, Tang dynasty, late 9th or early 10th century. Ink and colors on silk, 2’ 7 1/2" high. British Museum, London.

Central Buddha, west niche, Cave 328, 

Mogao, Dunhuang, China, 

first half of 8th century (Tang)

compare to

Seated Buddha, red sandstone, 

Mathura, India, 

2nd century CE (Kushan)

Cave 172, 8^th cent.

North wall 1

Meditation on the sun, 

top of the east side of north wall, Cave 172, Mogao, Dunhuang, China, 8^th century CE.

South wall 2

Paradise of Amitabha, cave 172, Dunhuang, China, Tang dynasty, mid eighth century. Wall painting, approx. 10’ high. 

Meditation on the sun, 

top of the east side of north wall, Cave 172, Mogao, Dunhuang, China, 8^th century CE.

Horyu-ji. Nara Prefecture, Japan. Asuka period, 7^th century.

Inner gate

Pagoda

Kondo

Yumedono

Tamamushi Shrine, The Buddha’s Sacrifice. Laquer painting on wood; 7’8” (230 cm). 7^th century

Shaka Triad. Tori Busshi. (623CE) Bronze, 69 ¼”(175.9 cm), Horyu-ji, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Asuka period.

Yumedono Kannon. Gilded wood.     6’5 ½” (197 cm). Yumedono (Hall of Dreams), Horyu-ji, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Asuka period, early 7^th century

Kudara Kannon. Painted wood. 6’10” (210 cm).

Miroku Bosatsu. Wood. 62” (157.5 cm). Chugu-ji of Horyu-ji, Nara, Japan. Asuka period, mid 7^th century.

Amida Triad, from Tachibana shrine. Bronze, 13 1/8” (33.3 cm). Horyu-ji, Nara, Japan. Nara period, early 8^th century

Yakushi-ji. 

Yakushi triad. 726CE, Bronze, 8’4” (250cm). Yakushi-ji, Nara, Japan.  Nara period