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Bodhisattva traid and attendants, No. 149, 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 a bodhisattva triad accompanied by eight attendants. The bodhisattva in the middle is seated cross-legged on a three-layered lotus throne with a three-storeyed octagonal base, decorated with peach-shaped patterns on the top and auspicious clouds in the middle and bottom storeys. The bodhisattva wears a large crown decorated with scroll grass patterns and a standing Buddha figure in the middle. The necklace is adorned with jade and pearls. Both the crown and the necklace are covered by gold foil. The bodhisattva has a peach-shaped head halo and an oval body halo trimmed with flame patterns. The tip of the head halo extends to the ceiling, connecting an octagonal canopy above the bodhisattva. The left hand holds the stem of a lotus flower with a flame pearl inside, while the holding object on the right hand is damaged. The attendant bodhisattvas on either side are similar in design. However, they are smaller in size. The left bodhisattva holds a water vase in the left hand and a willow branch in the right hand. This bodhisattva wears a square crown with scarves on either side. The right bodhisattva holds a wish-granting sceptre (Chinese: ruyi 如意) in both hands and wears a similar crown to that of the middle bodhisattva. The throne bases of the attendant bodhisattvas are plain without decorations. Four half-body figures are portrayed at the shoulder level behind the bodhisattva triad. From left to right: the first figure is warrior-like, holding a whip with both hands; the second one wears a beast-headed crown, having a long truncheon; the third one is similar to the first figure, holding a whip in the left hand and the right hand make a fist; the fourth one wears a crown with floral patterns and forms an Añjali Mudras (Chinese: heshi 合十). The bodhisattva triad is also flanked by four layperson figures. On the left side are an official and his male attendant. The male attendant holds a flat sceptre. On the right side are an upper-class lady and her female attendant. The lady forms an Añjali Mudras while her attendant holds a round-shaped object. The two side walls depict three layers of standing figures. Most of them wear laypeople attires, while a few are warrior-like. Each figure has a rear screen decorated with auspicious cloud patterns. The left side wall has 19 figures (five at the top layer, eight in the middle and six at the bottom). A three-face and six-arm deity is depicted on the top layer of the left side wall. On the other hand, the right side wall has 18 figures (five at the top layer, seven in the middle and six at the bottom). A platform below all sculptures is adorned with two lines of decorative patterns: vajra motifs at the upper part and scroll grass at the bottom. Three sets of inscriptions dated to 1128 CE (南宋建炎二年) are found in the niche. One of them indicates the donation of a niche for Cintāmaṇicakra (Chinese: 如意輪聖觀自在菩薩, ruyilun sheng guan zi zai pusa, also known as 如意輪觀音, Ruyilun Guanyin). Besides, four sets of inscriptions from visitors in later periods (1186, 1187 and 1219 CE) are observed. 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, pp. 303-304. Descriptions of the photos: Overview of the niche [1, 2] Close-up of left side wall [3] Close-up of right side wall [4] Metadata created by: Sau Ling Wendy Yu.

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

chi

Cluster 3.4: Typologies of Text-Image Relations

Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library

10.14288/1.0433172

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