Yulin Cave 25: Illustration of the Sutra on the Descent of Maitreya - Third Assembly of Maitreya

CHINA, Gansu, Guazhou; Tang dynasty

This painting of the third assembly of Maitreya is located in the bottom right corner of the illustration of the Sutra on the Descent of Maitreya. The scene is almost identical to the depiction of the second assembly in the bottom left corner.
Jambudvipa and a wedding scene in which a 500-year-old woman is to be married is depicted behind the assembly. According to the sutra, in Maitreya’s Pure Land people will live for 84,000 years, and women get married at the age of 500. The scene depicts a northern-style wedding, where a tent is used as the venue. The groom wears Tibetan-style clothing and prostrates while the bride wears Han clothing and stands off to one side. This reflects the customs of Sino-Tibetan marriages during that time. Records from the Song dynasty (960–1279) state that these customs were part of the legacy of Empress Wu Zetian (reigned 684–705). The artistic style in this image is similar to that employed by students of Wu Daozi, a renowned Tang dynasty painter.