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Guangzhai Temple Seven Jewel Tower: Buddha Triad Niche
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Guangzhai Temple Seven Jewel Tower: Buddha Triad Niche
CHINA, Shaanxi, Xi’an; Wu Zhou period (684–705), dated 701–705; Limestone; H: 109 cm; Agency for Cultural Affairs, Tokyo, Japan
In the center of this niche is a Buddha with a high usnisa and wearing a monastic robe that bares the right shoulder. The figure’s right hand is in bhumisparsa (earth-touching) mudra. The throne on which the Buddha is seated is decorated with a mountain censer and two kneeling figures, one paying respect and the other making an offering.
The accompanying Bodhisattvas have peach-shaped nimbuses, while the Buddha’s is circular in shape. The Bodhisattvas wear necklaces and bracelets and also a stole across their upper body. Their knotted skirts allow the shape of the legs to show through. The protruding lintel above the group is formed by a semicircle of a leafing Bodhi tree, with two apsaras on either end. |
