Pingliang: Pagoda Sculpture

CHINA, Gansu, Pingliang; Northern Wei dynasty

The tapered pagoda is made of five blocks carved on all sides and piled in the shape of a column. The top tier is engraved with a Buddha flanked by Bodhisattvas on the right and Sakyamuni parting with his servant Chandaka on the left. There are also Buddha triads on the sides of the second tier with reliefs of auspicious beasts and lions below them. The tier below it also displays a Buddha triad, Bodhisattvas, and a contemplative Maitreya on the left side, above which appear apsaras.
A Buddha with attendant Bodhisattvas and five seated Buddha images are on the right side of the fourth tier from the top. The Buddha passes into parinirvana with mourning disciples at his bedside on the left side. A contrasting scene of a crowded market with an entertainer performing is on the lower part of the left side.
The standing Buddha on the bottom tier is accompanied by Bodhisattvas and disciples, while on the left Sakyamuni and Prabhutaratna are seated together, with an audience of Bodhisattvas and heavenly beings.