Shizhongshan Grottoes Niche 12

CHINA, Yunnan, Dali

Niche 12 is located in the Sand Valley area and was sculpted in 850 of the Nanzhao Kingdom. It has several small niches on the lower two tiers, and low reliefs can be found on the stone wall above the main statues. The reliefs on the second tier include Buddha images with either two disciples or two Bodhisattvas. The sculptures on the lower tier are carved in a different style than those above.
There are four niches in total on the lower tier, and the sculptures in them have been relatively well preserved. A seated Sakyamuni Buddha statue on the left, 1.3 m in height, wears a monastic robe that leaves the right shoulder bare. His right hand forms the bhumisparsa (earth-touching) mudra, while his left rests in his lap. The next niche to the right contains Amitabha and Maitreya Buddhas. Amitabha sits on a lotus supported by a Sumeru throne with a monastic robe over both shoulders and hands froming the dhyana (meditation) mudra. Maitreya sits with legs pendent, and his right hand forms the vitarka (teaching) mudra, while his left rests on his left knee. This niche contains an inscription that states the year 850 as its construction date, which makes it the earliest dated inscription at Shizhongshan Grottoes. Another slightly larger Maitreya Buddha to the right sits with hands in the same positions, although the robes are depicted slightly differently. This Maitreya’s two-layer nimbus is still easily recognizable. The last niche on the right contains a small statue of Avalokitesvara, who used to hold a willow branch, but it has been lost.