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Yungang Grotto 11: Standing Buddha Niche
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Yungang Grotto 11: Standing Buddha Niche
CHINA, Shanxi, Datong; Northern Wei dynasty (386–534); Stone; H: 2.4 m
Situated in the center of the west wall, this long, rectangular, house-shaped niche has a corrugated tile roof and contains sculptures of seven standing Buddhas. It is shaped to imitate the wooden structures of the Central Plain region, and is representative of newer niche designs created after the Taihe period (477–499) reform during the Northern Wei dynasty.
The Buddhas within the niche stand barefoot, each forming the karana (warding off evil) and abhaya (fearlessness) mudras in the left and right hands. Each figure has a high usnisa, curved eyebrows, and wears a slight smile. The Buddhas wear long monastic robes with wide sleeves. The wall behind the figures is decorated with small Buddha niches, Thousand Buddha motif, and pagoda images. |
