Open Collections

Niches 49 to 55, Beishan Rock Carvings (北山石刻)

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

This complex of niches is located in Beishan Rock Carvings (北山石刻), Fowan (佛灣), Dazu (大足) District, Chongqing. Niche 49: One standing figure, severely eroded, remains. Niche 50: One seated Bodhisattva figure. It probably had four arms. It has a peach-shaped head halo and an oval body halo. A trace of the canopy remains on top of the figure. Inscriptions are found outside the frame on the right side of the figure. The characters indicate that it is a niche for Cintāmaṇicakra (Chinese: Ruyilun pusa 如意輪菩薩, also known as Ruyilun Guanyin 如意輪觀音) offered by monk Mingwu 明悟 in 897 CE (乾寧四年) of the Tang Dynasty. Source: Dazu shike yanjiuyuan 大足石刻研究院. Dazu shike quanji 大足石刻全集 [Dazu Rock Carvings] Edited by Li Fangyin 黎方銀. 10 vols. Vol. 1-1, Chongqing: Chongqing chubanshe, 2018, p. 193. Niche 51: The central wall contains twenty-one figures. Three seated buddha statues are depicted horizontally. All have peach-shaped head halos and oval body halos decorated with flame patterns. The central Buddha image in a double-collar drooping cassock is seated with crossed legs on a lotus throne, holding a bowl with his left hand and his right hand touching his right knee. The Buddha image on the left of the central one, with the same cassock style, is seated in a European posture with his left hand touching his left knee, and the right hand is damaged. The right-sided Buddha with a cassock covering both shoulders is also seated with crossed legs on a lotus throne. His hands are placed in front of his body with a meditation mudra. Based on the composition of these buddha images and the inscriptions (to be introduced later), they represent the Buddhas of the Three Times, namely Dipankara, Shakyamuni and Maitreya. The central Buddha image is flanked by two disciples. The older standing disciple on his left side is seemingly Mahākāśyapa, while the younger one on the right should be Ānanda. Both have circular halos. A pair of feitian 飛天 (Sanskrit: apsaras) is carved on top of the central Buddha. They are flanked by twelve small seated buddha images, six on each side. Two attendants kneeling with one leg are placed in front of the Buddha images. The one on the right is destroyed. Each of the two side walls contains nine images. The upper part of the left side wall has five images. The bodhisattva, probably Mañjuśrī, in the middle is seated on a lotus throne above a lion flanked by two attendants. A servant taming the lion is depicted on the beast’s back. There is a smaller image in front of the lion. Four standing figures are depicted in the lower part of the wall. The lowest one has three faces and six arms. The right side wall has similar settings. However, the key bodhisattva in the upper part, likely Samantabhadra, is placed on an elephant. At the bottom of the lower part is a warrior-like figure. The ceiling of this niche is decorated with a lotus motif in the middle and twelve musical instruments tied with ribbons. A pair of guardian deities are depicted on each side of the outer frame, both badly damaged. Two sets of inscriptions are found on the sides of the niche edge. They indicate that this is a niche for the Buddhas of the Three times (Chinese: Sanshifo 三世佛) offered by Wang Zongjing 王宗靖 in 899 CE (光化三年) during the Tang dynasty. Source: Dazu shike yanjiuyuan 大足石刻研究院. Dazu shike quanji 大足石刻全集 [Dazu Rock Carvings] Edited by Li Fangyin 黎方銀. 10 vols. Vol. 1-1, Chongqing: Chongqing chubanshe, 2018, pp. 206-207. Niche 52: Five figures are depicted. A Buddha in a cassock covering both shoulders is seated with crossed legs on a lotus throne. He has a peach-shaped head halo and an oval body halo decorated with flame patterns. Both hands of the image are destroyed. An octagonal canopy flanked by feitian on both sides is carved on top of the Buddha. The standing bodhisattva on the Buddha’s left holds a jewel with both hands, while the one on his right carries a vase with his left hand. Both bodhisattvas stand on lotus pedestals. Based on the inscriptions on both sides of the niche edge, the images are Amitabha Buddha (Chinese: Amituofo 阿彌陀佛), Kṣitigarbha (Chinese: Dicang pusa 地藏菩薩) and the salvational Avalokitesvara (Chinese: Jiuku Guanyin pusa 救苦觀音菩薩). A female devotee with the surname Li 黎 offered this niche in 897 CE (乾寧四年) during the Tang Dynasty. Source: Dazu shike yanjiuyuan. Dazu shike quanji. Vol. 1-1, pp. 210-211. Niche 53: The setting of this niche is similar to that of Niche 52. According to the inscriptions on both sides of the niche edge, the image combination is the same as Niche 52. The Amitabha Buddha image holds a meditation mudra, while the salvational Avalokitesvara on his right has a willow branch in his right hand. The niche was donated by Zhong Shenneng 種審能 in 915 CE (永平五年), during the Former Shu dynasty (前蜀). Source: Dazu shike yanjiuyuan. Dazu shike quanji. Vol. 1-1, p. 215. Niche 54: A standing figure is depicted. Since it is severely eroded, the details are worn away. Inscriptions are found on top of the image. However, most characters cannot be recognized. Niche 55: A figure seemingly seated in a European sitting posture with another figure on its right side is depicted. Both images are badly damaged. Descriptions of the photos: Key to the niches [1] Overview of the niches [2] Overview of Niches 50, 52 and 53 (from right to left) [3] Overview of Niches 49, 51 and 55 (from right to left) [4] Close-up of Niche 51 [5] Close-up of Niche 51 [6] Close-up of Niches 52 and 53 [7] Close-up of Niche 49 [8] Close-up of ceiling of Niche 51 [9] Close-up of ceiling of Niche 51 [10] Close-up of Niche 52 [11] Close-up of Niches 53 and 54 [12] Close-up of Niche 53 [13] Metadata created by: Sau Ling Wendy Yu.

Chongqing (China)); Dazu Qu (Chongqing, China); 29.71282; 105.71016

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Cluster 3.4: Typologies of Text-Image Relations

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10.14288/1.0433135

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