Mati Temple Grotto 7

CHINA, Gansu, Zhangye

This rectangular grotto is located in the Mati North Temple. It is a combination of a central pillar grotto and a large shrine grotto, measuring 26.3 m long, 15 m high, and 3.5 m deep. The grotto has a flat ceiling and three doorways at the front. The front chamber is spacious and it runs horizontally. The main chamber contains three niches in the back wall, with an altar below each niche. The two sides of the back wall lead to the side corridors that, together with the rear corridor, form the central pillar. The walls of the corridors contain 46 niches, and within each niche is a Tibetan-style seated Buddha created during the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368). They have round faces and broad foreheads. The mandorlas contain three of the Six Dharma Symbolic Features, a distinguishing characteristic of Yuan dynasty artwork at Mati Temple Grottoes.