Tianshui: Stele

CHINA, Gansu, Tianshui; Northern Zhou dynasty

This stele was found in 1972 in Zhangjiachuan, a Hui autonomous county in Tianshui. Dragons wreathe the top of the stele, which is carved on both sides with a small Buddha seated in a niche. Under the niche on the front is a larger Buddha accompanied by Bodhisattvas framed with curtains. Servants and lions are in the lower register with an inscription below.
The reverse side of the stele shows a seated Buddha attended by Bodhisattvas in an arched niche. A relief of oxcarts and benefactors riding horses is in the lower register. Further inscriptions fill the available spaces. The narrow sides are also carved with Buddhas, including Maitreya beneath a dragon flower tree.
Short bodies with big heads and square shaped faces characterize the carvings. The figures are in mid relief with further detailing by line incision. Among several inscriptions is one with the date 573 that records the name of tribal chief Wang Lingwei.