Stele

CHINA; Northern Qi dynasty

The bending backs of dragons whose legs frame a small rectangular niche with a Maitreya figure inset form the curved top of the stele. The Bodhisattva is identified by sitting under a dragon flower tree in a variation of the relaxation posture where one leg overhangs a bench and rests on a lotus while the other is crossed horizontally upon the thigh.
Below this niche is a scene from the Vimalakirti Sutra where Vimalakirti and Manjusri sit under canopies debating the Dharma with an audience of disciples and deities between them. These two scenes fill the upper part of a niche. Sakyamuni Buddha sitting under an ogee arch attended by disciples and Bodhisattvas is positioned in the central part of the stele. The Buddha is seated on a throne supported by a large lotus and his attendants stand on smaller lotuses, all of which grow up from the base. A yaksa supports a mountain censer in the lower register, and on either side are lions and warriors. Inscriptions on the sides of the stele date the work to 557 and state it was commissioned by monk Faying and several others.
This stele has been regarded as a sculptural masterpiece of Northern Qi (550–577) dynasty, with a layout typical of that period. It is well preserved and portrays several themes with intricate carvings.