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Nannieshui: Pagoda Sculpture
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Nannieshui: Pagoda Sculpture
CHINA, Shanxi, Changzhi; Northern Wei dynasty (386–534); Stone; Nannie Stone Carving Museum, Shanxi, China
This is one example of the range of pagodas excavated at the Nannieshui site in 1959. The pagodas consist of individual blocks piled up in multiples of five, seven or nine. Each block measures roughly 50 cm square. The lowest block is slightly larger in size and decreases in size as it goes upward, in a tapered formation. They are sculpted in a combination of low and mid-relief on all four sides. A Buddha is depicted in a niche, either meditating, being flanked by Bodhisattvas, or participating in episodes from his life. The exterior surfaces depict exuberant carvings of flowers, Bodhi trees, lotuses, garudas and apsaras. |
