Bingling Temple Cave 172: Wooden Structure

CHINA, Gansu, Linxia; Northern Zhou dynasty

This wooden structure is built into a natural recess in the center of the back (west) wall. It measures 2.95 m in width, 2.3 m in height, and 2.97 m in depth. It is constructed atop a short wooden platform approximately 1.4 m off the ground. Based on the style of the structure, it is estimated to have been built during the Northern Zhou dynasty (557–581) with significant repairs made during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644).
The exterior door frame is painted with an image of the Buddha’s parinirvana on the lintel, and five Bodhisattvas on each side of the doorway. A row of 32 seated Buddhas decorate the top of the frame. Within the structure, the beams on the ceiling create a grid with nine sections. Within each section is a wooden backing painted with a circle containing the Six-Syllable Mantra; these seem to have been inserted at a later date, as one of the wooden backings has fallen off revealing the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Mandala underneath. The structure contains clay sculptures of the Buddhas of the Past, Present, and Future and their attendants, as well as paintings of nimbuses, aureoles, and numerous rows of disciples covering the walls. The disciples have nimbuses and wear monastic robes with the right shoulder bared. They all face the central Buddha with only their upper bodies showing.