Open Collections

Niches 206-219, 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. Some of the images are badly eroded. Niche 206: Three seated images. Niche 207: Ten figures seated on lotus thrones are placed on individual shrines. Niche 208: It contains two seated bodhisattvas sharing a rectangular Sumeru throne, flanked by a pair of standing figures on either side wall. The bodhisattva on the right side has six arms. Either hand of the upper arms holds a circular plate. The middle right hand holds a sword, while the object in the left hand is unrecognizable. The lower left hand has a bowl before the belly, and the right holds a willow branch. An arc-shaped screen with a winged human figure is depicted before the Sumeru throne. Niche 209: The middle wall depicts a seated bodhisattva image. The bodhisattva is seated with crossed legs on a lotus throne placed on the back of a buffalo. He has a circular body halo and a peach-shaped head halo trimmed with flame motifs. He also wears a high crown. The bodhisattva is flanked by four buffalos on either side. Three of them have cowboys on their backs. A pair of feitian飛天 (Sanskrit: apsaras) on auspicious clouds are placed above the bodhisattva. Besides, a pair of guardian deities holding swords are depicted on each side of the niche frame. Inscriptions dated to the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127 CE) are found near the lintel, indicating that it is a niche for the bodhisattva of detaching karmic knots (jie yuan jie pusa 解冤結菩薩). 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. 3-1, Chongqing: Chongqing chubanshe, 2018, p. 53. Niche 210: A bodhisattva with a circular halo, seated in a Lalitasana sitting posture, is depicted. The throne is decorated with a lotus bud motif. Two standing figures are placed on either side of the bodhisattva. Niche 211: A seated bodhisattva with circular halos behind his head and body, flanked by a pair of standing figures. Niche 212: A six-armed bodhisattva with a circular halo is depicted in the middle wall. The pair of upper hands hold circular plates. The middle left hand has a bowl, and the right one holds a willow. The lower left hand holds a noose, while the right has a sword. An arc-shaped screen with a winged human figure is depicted before the bodhisattva’s throne. Either side wall has a standing figure. Niche 213: A bodhisattva with a circular halo, seated in a Lalitasana sitting posture, is depicted. Four standing figures are placed before the bodhisattva’s throne. Niche 214: A standing bodhisattva with a bowl in the left hand is depicted. There is also a small standing figure on the left side wall. Niche 215: Damaged with remains of an image in the middle wall. Niche 216: Damaged with remains of a standing figure. Niche 217: Damaged with remains of a seated image flanked by two small standing figures. Niche 218: The middle wall depicts a multiple-armed bodhisattva seated in a European posture. The number of arms is uncertain since some a damaged. Each extant hand holds an object or forms a mudra. There is a pair of feitian and a damaged canopy above the bodhisattva. A pair of standing figures is depicted on either side wall. Niche 219: Damaged with remains of a standing figure. Descriptions of the photos: Key to the niches [1]. Overview of the niches [2]. Surrounding environment [3]. Upper part of the complex [4]. Middle part of the complex [5, 6]. Close-up of Niche 209 [7, 8]. Close-up of Niche 219 [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

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10.14288/1.0433196

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