A terracotta Buddha face from the Yongning Temple tells the story of how Buddhism took root in China. It is a testament not only to the Buddhist art of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), but also to the cultural convergence of that era.
Facial Part of the Clay Buddha Figurine 泥塑佛面像
Clay | Northern Wei Dynasty (386 – 534 AD) | Dimension – H: 25cm | Luoyang Museum Collection, Excavated from the tower footing of Yongning Temple site at Longhutan Village in Yanshi, Luoyang, 1979. 泥塑｜北魏（公元396 – 534年）｜尺寸：残高25厘米｜洛阳博物馆藏，1979年洛阳偃师龙滩村北魏永宁寺塔基出土
In 494, Emperor Xiaowen 孝文帝 (r. 471-499), aka Tuoba Hong 拓跋宏 of Northern Wei dynasty (386-534) moved the capital to Luoyang. He also initiated the Sinicisation of the nation of nomadic ancestry of Xianbei through a series of reforms, including changing his surname from Tuoba 拓跋 to Yuan 元. This reform has also put Buddhist statue-making on the track of localisation. This clay sculpture life face is beautiful, gentle and friendly. It has not only the super mysterious sense of Sakyamuni Buddha, but also the gentle and kind intimacy of the world, which shows a strong sense of human customs.
The Northern Wei Dynasty was the first feudal dynasty during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Although the country seemed inconspicuous in Chinese history, Buddhism achieved unprecedented development in China during the Northern Wei Dynasty. Emperor Xiaowen was responsible for the building of the Longmen 龙门石窟 and Yungang 云冈石窟 grottoes during his reign. The royal temple Yongning Temple 永宁寺 was completed in 2nd year of Xiping 熙平二年 (517), in which this Buddha statue was housed.
However, the history of the Northern Wei dynasty is not long. In the third year of Yongxi 永熙三年 (534), there was a domestic riot and Yongning Temple was burned down by fire. The pagado was burnt down supposedly due to lightning strike. In the 1980s, archeological experts came to the ruins of Yongning Temple to inspect. Unexpectedly, this fragment of the Buddha statue inside was still there, but it was no longer complete after the fire. Even so, as a witness of thousands of years of history, the incomplete Buddha face is still very precious.
Archaeology is not just the excavation of the past, but also the enlightenment of the future. By treating each relic with reverence, we discover the essence of Chinese culture and encourage the long and rich river of our heritage to continue flowing.
About Chinese National Treasure Series
中華國寶系列 Chinese National Treasure series feature specific artefacts and relics from museums all around the world that are historically significant to be considered a National Treasure. The series covers the 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation from Neolithic periods before the Xia dynasty (c. 2070-1600 BC) to modern day.
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