Xi’an: Buddha Pentad Niche

CHINA, Shaanxi, Xi’an; Northern Zhou dynasty

The stele, discovered in 1975, consists of a squared niche enclosing five figures. A canopy-patterned lintel above gives way to a bas-relief of heavenly musicians playing their instruments. The Buddha is seated cross-legged in the center with hands pointing directly up and down in the conventional abhaya (fearlessness) and varada (wish-granting) mudras. A radiating nimbus is behind the Buddha’s head. Bodhisattvas holding attributes stand on either side with Heavenly Kings in the warrior pose in front of them. There is a mountain censer located before the Buddha’s throne that are flanked by lions crouching with one paw raised. The detail in the sculpture and the dynamic figures is often seen in sculptures from the Northern Zhou dynasty (557–581).