Open Collections

Buddha statues in the Southern Niches of the Hall of the Stone Buddha

From the Ground Up: Buddhism & East Asian Religions (FROGBEAR Project)

This series of stone statues of Buddhas, dated 1085 (Song 宋 Dynasty), is located on the southern side of the Hall of Stone Buddha at Sitou Town (寺頭鎮), Linqü (臨朐), Shandong Province. Photos 1- 12 each show a niche that contains or used to contain a buddha statue. Full description and measurements of niches and statues are recorded below: 1. In the first image, the buddha's head is missing. Behind the buddha a peach-shaped halo appears. The size of the figure of the buddha is 30cm (H) x 16cm (W). The size of the niche is 39cm (H) x 24cm (W) [1]. 2. The buddha's head is missing. He is wearing a robe fastened on the left (zuoren 左衽), indicating a non-Chinese religion. Behind the buddha a peach-shaped halo appears. Statue: 29cm (H) x 24cm (W). Niche: 35cm (H) x 20cm (W) [2]. 3. The buddha's head is damaged. He is wearing a robe fastened on the left (zuoren 左衽), indicating a non-Chinese religion. He is standing with two hands crossed. The halo at his back is partially missing. Statue: 36cm (H) x 16cm (W). Niche: 49cm (H) x 20cm (W) [3]. 4. The buddha's head is missig. Image is blurry [4]. 5. The buddha's figure is damaged. Behind the buddha a peach-shaped halo appears. The size of the buddha's figure is 40cm (H) x 27cm (W). Niche: 49cm (H) x 28cm (W) [5]. 6. Inside the niche there is a main buddha statue (standing) wearing a round halo on head, accompanied by two standing statues on each side. On top of the main statue are two Gandharvas 飛天on the left and right side respectively; the Gandharva on the left side is suspected to hold a musical instrument in hand. The top of the niche was engraved in dragon shapes. Main statue: 63cm (H) x 19cm (W). Diameter of halo: 27cm. Right Gandharva: 19cm (H) x 12cm (W); left Gandharva: 25cm (H) x 12cm 9W). Left standing statue: 49cm (H) x 13cm (W), the right standing statue: 49cm (H) x 13cm (W). Dragon-shaped engraving: 29cm (H) x 18cm (W). Niche: 119cm (H) x 82cm (W) [6]. 7. The figure is a sitting buddha, with a peach-shaped halo appearing at the back. He is wearing wide-sleeved long clothes. Statue: 47cm (H) x 19cm (W). Niche: 52cm (H) x 20cm (W) [7]. 8. Group of stone statues. Inside the niche a main buddha statue is wearing a round-shaped halo, accompanied by two standing statues on each side. On the top of the niche there is another tiny buddha statue, flanked by two Gandharvas on the left and right sides. Main buddha statue: 58cm (H) x 24cm (W). Diameter of halo: 13cm. Left standing statue: 33cm (H) x 9cm (W). Right standing statue: 33cm (H) x 9cm (W). The tiny buddha statue: 14cm (H) x10cm (W). Left Gandharva: 19cm (H) x 13cm (W). Right Gandharva: 25cm (H) x16cm (W). Niche: 69cm (H) x 60cm (W) [8]. 9. Group of stone statues. Inside the niche a main buddha statue is wearing a round-shaped halo, accompanied by two standing statues on each side. On the top of the niche there are patterns of upside-down lotus flowers, flanked by two Gandharvas on the left and right sides. Main buddha statue: 77cm (H) x 38cm (W). Diameter of halo: 28cm. Left standing statue: 50cm (H) x 16cm (W). Right standing statue: 47cm (H) x 15cm (W). Left Gandharva: 25cm (H) x 22cm (W). Right Gandharva: 28cm (H) x23cm (W). The lotus flower: 25cm (H) x 27cm (W)；The niche: 126cm (H) x 91cm (W) [9]. 10. The buddha figure is badly weathered. Both his face and body showed traces of damage. Statue: 49cm (H) x 35cm (W). Niche: 59cm (H) x 43cm (W) [10]. 11. Group of stone statues. Inside the niche a main buddha statue is wearing a round-shaped halo, accompanied by two standing statues on the left and right sides. The left standing statue is complete. Main buddha statue: 55cm (H) x 15cm (W). Diameter of halo: 19cm. Right standing statue: 25cm (H) x 10cm (W). Niche: 59cm (H) x 50cm (W) [11]. 12. Group of stone statues. A main buddha statue is flanked by two standing statues on the left and right sides respectively. Main statue: 29cm (H) x 8cm (W). Left standing statue: 23cm (H) x 6cm (W). Right standing statue: 23cm (H) x 6cm (W) [12].

Linqu Xian (China); Weifang Shi (China); 36.3313888; 118.4641666

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2020-01-06

Attribution 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/73135

Unreviewed

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/