Open Collections

Niches 160 to 164, 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 160: Inscriptions dating to 1142 CE (南宋紹興十二年). The text is written in the clerical style (Chinese: lishu 隸書), with 27 words legible. 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. 348. Niche 161: Five figures are depicted. Since they are severely damaged, their identities are unknown. The central figure, whose head is lost, is seated on a square throne in a European posture. The figure’s body is also severely eroded. However, a circular head halo remains. The image on the left side of the central figure is a male holding a bowl with both hands. The upper part of his head is damaged. To this male figure’s left the outline of a standing figure can be discerned. A female carrying a staff stands to the right of the central figure. On the right side of this female figure is a smaller standing figure holding an unknown object in its hands. Niche 162: This niche contains the remains of a seated figure flanked by two standing figures. Since they are severely eroded, their identities are unknown. Niche 163: Inscriptions dating to the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279 CE) are found, written in regular script (Chinese: kaishu 楷書), with 237 words extant. 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. 352. Niche 164: Three bodhisattvas seated in European style are depicted on the central wall. Both upper corners of the central wall contain the remains of feitian (Chinese: 飛天; Sanskrit: apsaras). A smaller standing figure is found on either side wall. Since all the figures are severely damaged, their identities are unknown. Descriptions of the photos: Key to the niches [1] Overview of the niches [2, 3] Surrounding environment of the niches [4] Close-up of Niches 163 and 164 [5] Close-up of Niche 164 [6] Close-up of Niches 160, 161 and 162 [7] Close-up of Niche 163 [8, 9] 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

10.14288/1.0433178

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