Content Area 7: West and Central Asia

Jowo Rinpoche

• PLACES: Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, Tibet (China)

• DATES: early to mid 7th century, with later restorations

• MATERIALS: Gold, Gems

• TECHNIQUE: Polychromy, Gliding

• SIZE:

• meant to act as Buddha’s proxy (go-between) after his departure from the physical world (parinirvana)
  -dating of exactly when the piece was originally made is still up in the air; likely made in the early to mid 7th century CE

• -very sacred piece due to it being believed to have been carved by celestial architect Vishwakarma in India during Buddha’s lifetime

  -symbolizes  political power in Tibet

Bamiyan Buddhas

• PLACES: Bamiyan, Afghanistan

• DATES: C. 400-800 C.E.-destroyed 2001

• MATERIALS: Cut rock (sandstone) with plaster and polychrome paint

• TECHNIQUE:

• SIZE: 175 feet tall

• -Taliban forces were ordered to demolish the Buddha statues, which took several weeks and were described as “remarkably solid.”

• Buddha sculptures comes from the Chinese monk Xuanzang (Hsuan-Tsang)

• Made for religious (Buddhist) reasons, Buddhism was an important religion in the region along the Silk Road during the early Kushan period.

  
  

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