Bingling Temple Cave 172: Buddhas of the Past, Present, and Future

CHINA, Gansu, Linxia; Northern Zhou dynasty

These statues are located within a wooden structure built into the back (west) wall of the cave. There are a total of nine clay sculptures arranged around the three walls of the structure, depicting the Buddhas of the Past, Present, and Future and their attendants. The statues were originally created during the Northern Zhou dynasty (557–581), and were repaired and repainted during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). A Buddha with two disciples is located on the back wall. A Buddha flanked by two Bodhisattvas can be found along both the north and south walls. Each Buddha sits in full lotus position and is 1.3 m in height. The attendants are each approximately 1 m high. Although the Buddhas of the Past, Present, and Future are a popular theme of Buddhist cave art in Northern China, this is the only set of figures in the Bingling Temple Caves dating to the Northern Zhou dynasty.
The Buddha on the back wall wears monastic robes covering both shoulders and has one hand held up against the chest. The attendant figures are the disciples Mahakasyapa and Ananda, with the disciples differentiated by the slightly older appearance of Mahakasyapa.
The Buddha on the south wall wears a round-collared monastic robe draped over both shoulders and a long stole over the wrists. The Bodhisattva on the right wears a headscarf, a loose stole over the shoulders, and a pleated lower garment. The Bodhisattva on the left wears a draped robe with long sleeves and holds an object in front of the chest with both hands. The set of figures on the north wall is generally similar, except one Bodhisattva holds a jewel, while the other holds a vase and a lotus.