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Pengshan Eastern Han Tomb: Buddha Under the Money Tree
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Pengshan Eastern Han Tomb: Buddha Under the Money Tree
CHINA, Sichuan, Meishan; Eastern Han dynasty (25–220); Earthenware; H: 21.3 cm; Nanjing Museum, Jiangsu, China
This work of art was excavated in 1942. The Buddha under the Money Tree is an Eastern Han theme found in southwestern China, particularly in Sichuan. The money tree is often associated with the Queen Mother of the West.
One of the earliest Buddhist images in China, this Buddha has a high usnisa and a round face. He is clad in a robe which is incised with evenly spaced folds. The Bodhisattvas on either side of him wear non-Chinese clothing. The base is sculpted with a dragon and a tiger chasing a disc.
This imagery reflects the integration of Buddhism with local culture during the Eastern Han dynasty (25-220). |
