Shaolin Temple Tongguang Pagoda: Gandharvas and Apsaras

CHINA, Henan, Zhengzhou; Tang dynasty

This is a rubbing of an engraved lintel above the door of Tongguang Pagoda at Shaolin Temple. Alternating decorative patterns of flowers, birds, and butterflies run along the outer border. Two apsaras fly through the air scattering flowers in the upper register. Below, two apsaras dance while two groups of gandharvas play musical instruments. Wearing headdresses and stoles, the apsaras are depicted in typical Tang dynasty style. The figures and patterns are skillfully arranged to compliment the semicircular shape of the lintel. Detailed patterns and lively figures hint at the bliss of the Pure Land. Semicircular line carvings began to appear during the Tang dynasty (618–907). The original engraving used to make this rubbing is a rare example of a work created with embossing rather than debossing.