Dali Sutra Pillar Sculptures

CHINA, Yunnan, Kunming; Dali Kingdom

This sutra pillar was discovered in 1919 while workers were clearing the ruins of Dizang (Ksitigarbha) Temple. The temple grounds were converted to a park in 1923 and a museum was built in 1987. An inscription on the base states that the pillar was created during the later Dali Kingdom (937–1253). The area was listed as a National Cultural Heritage Site in 1982.
The seven octagonal sections of the pillar rise to a large jewel resting on a lotus. The base is drum-shaped and carved with reliefs of dragons and waves. Various scriptures including the Heart Sutra are carved on the base in Sanskrit. The first tier of the pillar body is engraved with the Usnisavijaya Dharani Sutra and is guarded by the Four Heavenly Kings. The different tiers rise in the manner of a pagoda and are divided by balustrades carved with small Buddha images and supported by warriors and other fierce guardian figures. The main body of the pillar consists mostly of niches that contain Buddhas accompanied by disciples and attendant Bodhisattvas.