Bingling Temple Cave 169: Five Buddhas

CHINA, Gansu, Linxia; Western Qin Kingdom

These reliefs are located within Niche 23, situated on the upper right section of the south wall within Cave 169. The niche is 4.9 m wide, 1.88 m high, and 0.38 m deep. Within the niche is a flat backscreen composed of clay spread over a wooden core, in front of which five clay Buddhas are sculpted. The center of the backscreen is damaged, and the head of the central Buddha was repaired in 1990. Apart from this slight damage, the niche is well-preserved.
The figures can be separated into two sections: three smaller Buddhas on the left side, and two larger ones on the right side of the wall. The three smaller figures range from 93 cm to 97 cm in height. They have high usnisas, round faces, thin eyes, and prominent noses. Their necks are short and thick. Each Buddha wears a red monastic robe which covers both shoulders, with incised lines detailing the folds of the garments. The Buddhas sit in full lotus position with their hands forming the dhyana (meditation) mudra. The two larger figures on the right side measure 107 cm and 108 cm in height. Their eyes, eyebrows, and mustaches are drawn in with ink and they form subtle smiles with their lips. The Five Buddhas display traces of both the Gandhara and Western Qin Kingdom (385–431) sculpting styles.
Between the first and second Buddhas on the left side is a cartouche written in ink dated to the year 396. The Five Buddhas were a new subject matter around that time. They began to appear after the capital was moved to Fuhan (present day Linxia, Gansu) during the Western Qin Kingdom.