Jiuquan: Gao Shanmu Pagoda
Stone
Jiuquan: Gao Shanmu Pagoda
CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Northern Liang Kingdom
The pagoda was discovered in in Jiuquan 1969. It consists of an octagonal base with images of male and female figures holding offerings. Bagua (Daoist eight diagrams) symbols are visible at the upper right corner of each facet. A circular base sits above the octagonaly base and is covered in inscriptions that was taken from the Ekottara Agama as well as a short explanation for the construction of the stupa. It states that it was commissioned by Gao Shanmu to repay the kindness of his parents. There is an inverted bowl-shaped body which is decorated with seven Buddhas and a Bodhisattva, all seated inside arched niches. They represent the Buddhas of the past and the one to come. There are seven stacked rings that tapers gradually toward the top.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Sculpture G-M, page 500.
Cite this article:
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Lovelock, Yann and Chou, Yuan and Huntington, Susan and Edson, Gary and Neather, Robert,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Sculpture G-M},
pages = 500,
title = {{Jiuquan: Gao Shanmu Pagoda}},
volume = 11,
year = {2016}}