This piece depicts a fragment of a bodhisattva
carved in high relief. It dates to a time of
unprecedented artistic development that
surrounded the period of China’s unification in
439 AD, under the Northern Wei (or Tuoba Wei).
The rulers of the dynasty seem to have
originated from the Tuoba clan of the non-Han
Xianbei tribe, and later renamed themselves the
Yuans.
Buddhism was first introduced to China from the
Indian subcontinent along the trade routes of
Central Asia during the early years of the Han
dynasty. However it faced two powerful
competing ideologies, Confucianism and
Daoism, which initially impeded its progress.
When the Northern Wei, a foreign nomadic
people, conquered parts of China in the late
fourth century Buddhism was flourishing.
Bodhisattvas were often depicted in pairs
around a central image of the Buddha. These
enlightened beings choose to delay their entry
into Nirvana in order to help others attain
enlightenment. Although Buddhist texts do not
specify their gender, Chinese examples are
generally depicted as male until the end of the
Song Dynasty (1279), when they begin to
assume a feminine appearance. Bodhisattvas
can usually be differentiated from Buddha
figures on the basis of their decorative
appearance; Buddhas are invariably depicted in
plainer raiment that reflects their ascetic lifestyle.
- (EQ.020)
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