Mogao Cave 17: Master Hongbian
Clay
Mogao Cave 17: Master Hongbian
CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Tang dynasty
This statue is located along the back (north) wall on a low platform. According to the tablet embedded in the back (west) wall and inscribed in 851 during the Tang dynasty, the statue is a likeness of Master Hongbian of Hexi. During this period, Master Hongbian was a monk supervisor and teacher in Shazhou (present day Dunhuang), and was apparently in good favor with the Guiyi Army and Tang officials. The tablet honors him as an “eminent monk deserving of offerings within and outside the capital area.”
Master Hongbian is seated in full lotus position, his hands held in dhyana (meditation) mudra beneath his robe.The master’s face has a warm expression and his eyes appear resolute and wise. The body is wrapped in a robe shaped with smooth folds that give the impression of a thick material.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Caves M-Mo, page 850.
Cite this article:
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Johnson, Peter and Mankuang and Huntington, Susan and Edson, Gary and Neather, Robert,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Caves M-Mo},
pages = 850,
title = {{Mogao Cave 17: Master Hongbian}},
volume = 7,
year = {2016}}