Bangtuo Temple: Sakyamuni Buddha
Bangtuo Temple: Sakyamuni Buddha
CHINA, Sichuan, Aba; Yuan dynasty
This artwork was found in Bangtuo Temple, a Nyingma school complex built during the Yuan dynasty. The temple is now in ruins, but a group of stupas are still standing. Surrounded by these stupas, there is a pile of almost 100,000 stone slabs that is 16.6 m long, 8 m wide, and 5.8 m high. The slabs are engraved with the Tibetan Canon or Buddha images.
The Buddha on this stone slab is depicted sitting in lotus position on a lotus throne. He has blue hair, a calm expression, and a tall usnisa. The Buddha is dressed in an orange monastic robe that leaves the right shoulder bare. The left hand holds an alms bowl in front of the stomach, and the right hand hangs down naturally. A nimbus and aureole are painted behind the Buddha. Simple carved lines are used to depict the figure. The colors that were added to the image remain bright.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Painting A-H, page 89.
Cite this article:
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Youlu and Wilson, Graham and Manho and Mankuang and Huntington, Susan,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Painting A-H},
pages = 89,
title = {{Bangtuo Temple: Sakyamuni Buddha}},
volume = 14,
year = {2016}}