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Three-faced and eight-armed Marici and eight guardian deities, Niche 130, Beishan Rock Carvings (北山石刻)

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

This niche is located in Beishan Rock Carvings (北山石刻), Fowan (佛灣), Dazu (大足) District, Chongqing. The central wall depicts Marici (Chinese: Molizhitian 摩利支天; Sanskrit: Mārīcī), a three-faced and eight-armed bodhisattva. The bodhisattva wears a long skirt and is adorned with a pretty headdress and accessories of jade and pearls. Shawls drape by the two arms from each shoulder. The middle face of Marici is larger than the faces on either side. The eight arms hold different objects. The pair of hands in front of the body seemingly form a mudra. However, the mudra cannot be identified since the fingers are damaged. From top to bottom, those hands on the left hold an eight-spoked dharma wheel trimmed with flame patterns, a bow and a shield decorated with a wrathful face. The hands on the right hold a sword, an arrow and a halberd. The bodhisattva stands on a lotus pedestal above a rectangular altar. Five flame motifs are depicted on the edge of the bodhisattva’s oval halo. On top of the central flame motif, there is a three-storey pagoda. Each storey contains a small shrine, of which the top and the middle have Buddha images. Four lines of light illuminated from the pagoda reach a lotus canopy carved on the niche ceiling. Besides, a pair of floral motifs are depicted on both sides of the pagoda. Four guardian deities with wrathful faces and warrior attires are distributed in two layers on each side wall. The main features of the guardian deities on the left side wall are, (1) The upper outer deity is one-headed-four-armed with an axe on the left upper hand, a ringlike object on the left lower hand, and a noose on the right lower hand. The right upper hand is placed in front of the chest with the palm facing up. (2) The upper inner deity is three-faced-six-armed with a vajra on the left upper hand, a trident on the right upper hand and a flame pearl on the left middle hand. The bent right middle arm is placed in front of the chest. The pair of lower hands hold a sabre. (3) The lower outer deity is three-faced-six-armed with both hands in front of his body placed on a sword, the right upper hand holding a vajra, and the right lower hand griping a shawl. The rest hands are damaged. (4) The lower inner deity is one-headed-four-armed with both hands in front of his body holding a wish-granting sceptre (Chinese: ruyi 如意), the left lower hand griping a shawl and the right lower hand heaving up a square seal. The setting of the four guardian deities on the right side wall are similar, and their main features are, (1) The upper outer deity is one-headed-four-armed with a vase on the left upper hand and a whip on the right upper hand. The pair of lower hands hold a sword. (2) The upper inner deity is three-faced-six-armed with a human skull cane on the left upper hand, a staff on the right upper hand, an arrow on the left middle hand, a wrathful face shield on the left lower hand, and a sabre on the right lower hand. The right middle hand touches the left middle wrist. (3) The lower outer deity is three-faced-six-armed with a noose on the left upper hand, a vajra on the right upper hand, and a sword on the right lower hand. The left lower hand grips a shawl, and the pair of middle hands hold an axe. (4) The lower inner deity is one-headed-four-armed with a bowl on the left upper hand, a vajra on the right upper hand and a lance on the left lower hand. The right lower arm is placed on the side. An inscription dating to the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279) is found outside the niche frame. Eight characters are still readable. 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. 2-1, Chongqing: Chongqing chubanshe, 2018, p. 170. Descriptions of the photos: Overview of niches 126, 128 and 130 [1] Niche 130 and surrounding environment [2] Close-up of Niche 130 [3] Close-up of Signboard [4] Close-up of central wall [5] Close-up of right side wall [6] Close-up of left side wall [7] Close-up of Marici [8] Close-up of the lower part of Marici [9] Close-up of the wrathful face shield of Marici [10] Close-up of the dharma wheel of Marici [11] Close-up of the three-storey pagoda [12] Close-up of the human skull cane of the upper inner deity on the right sidewall [13] Metadata created by: Sau Ling Wendy Yu.

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

chi; eng

Cluster 3.4: Typologies of Text-Image Relations

Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library

10.14288/1.0433155

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