A son’s tribute to his royal parents carved in perpetuity in limestone caves near their burial grounds. These cave carvings became what is known as Longmen Grottoes.
Three Caves of Binyang 宾阳三洞
Buddhism is the state religion of the Northern Wei Dynasty, and Emperor Xuanwu 宣武帝, aka Yuan Ke 元恪, is a devout believer. In 500 A.D., Yuan Ke, who had just ascended the throne, issued an edict to build two grottoes in Yique Mountain in the south of Luoyang in honour of his parents, Emperor Xiaowen 孝文帝 (r. 471-499) and Empress Dowager Wenzhao 文昭皇后 (d. 494). In 508 A.D., he built a grotto for himself. These three grottoes are the famous three caves of Binyang among the Longmen Grottoes. Binyang Central Cave 宾阳中洞1 (shown above) was carved in 500 A.D. and was not completed until 523 A.D., which took 24 years.
Emperor Xiaowen and his entourage worshipping the Buddha 北魏 石雕孝文帝禮佛圖
Sculpture, Limestone with traces of pigment | Northern Wei dynasty (386–534) | Dimensions: H. 82 in. (208.3 cm); W. 12 ft. 11 in. (393.7 cm) | The Metropolitan Museum of Art NY, Originally on northeastern wall of Central Binyang Cave in the Longmen complex
A figure wearing court garments and holding a tasseled baton leads the procession. He is followed by a smaller figure wearing armour and another who stands before the emperor, holding an incense burner. The trees originally indicated the point at which the procession moved around a corner, from the north to the east wall. Several of the attendants hold lotuses or other flowers and offerings, and the entire procession can be understood as making offerings to the Buddhas in the cave, an act of merit making that would continue in perpetuity and improve the future lives of the participants.
Offering Procession of the Empress as Donor with Her Court 北魏 文昭皇后礼佛图
Sculpture, Limestone with traces of pigment | Northern Wei dynasty (386–534) | Dimensions: H. 203.2 cm; W. 278.13 | Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Originally on ride side of Central Binyang Cave in the Longmen complex
The empress and her attendants occupied the eastern wall on the right side of the door. The central figure, wearing a crown of lotus flowers, is probably the empress, the smaller figure, similarly crowned, probably a secondary empress. The carving has been adjusted to take into account the oblique light from the door. Note that the faces have been twisted about a medial nasal line and distorted so that the nose projects sharply and the backside of the face is more fully seen. This adjustment utilizes the oblique light by casting strong shadows, thus making the figures more “readable.” Drapery pleats have similarly been adjusted to make maximum use of the dim, raking light.
The main image in North Binyang Cave 宾阳北洞 is an Amitabha with a patterned halo. Dragon-head shaped column bases dating from the Northern Wei flank the cave entrance. Other figures are also present (possibly bodhisattvas). This cave has become the favourites among the social influencers because of the “V” sign that the Amitabha made. Middle Binyang Cave and South Binyang Cave are adjacent to the south.
The main image in the South Binyang Cave 宾阳南洞 is an Amitabha which is said to represent the transition of solemn and majestic Northern Wei sculpture in to the more lifelike style of the Tang. There are multiple inscriptions in the cave, and additional figures are also present (possibly bodhisattvas). Binyang South Cave and North Cave were not completed until the division of the Northern Wei Dynasty, and were completed in the early Tang Dynasty.
Emperor Xuanwu and the Jingling Mausoleum 宣武帝及其景陵
Emperor Xuanwu 宣武帝 succeeded the throne in 499 after the death due to illness of Emperor Xiaowen during a military campaign against Southern Qi 南齐. Yuan Ke 元恪, born Tuoba Ke 拓跋恪, was the second son of Emperor Xiaowen and became Crown Prince because his elder brother Yuan Xun 元恂 rejected the Sinicisation policy of his father and was deposed and banished (and subsequently killed).
Along the Divine Way 神道 leading to the entrance of the tomb are two stone statutes of military officers. The one carrying the sword is a replica of the one on the right which was discovered lying on the ground with its head broken. It has been subsequently restored and placed on the East side of the Divine Way.
Jingling Mausoleum 景陵 consists of four parts, including the entrance tunnel, the front, the back and the burial chamber, with a total length of more than 56 metres. A lot of care was taken to protect the integrity of the structure when it was excavated in 1991. The front section of the tomb wall is made of adobe and the back section is made of bricks. A pair of stone statues with the carving style of the Xianbei people guards the entrance to the burial chamber.
The burial chamber 地宫 has a diameter of 110 metres and a height of 24 metres and is placed under the mound. The burial chamber has a large dome space built using bricks. The sarcophagus is placed in this cavernous chamber.
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.
Footnotes:
- https://caeacollections.lib.uchicago.edu/view/14447/offering-procession-of-the-empress-as-donor-with-her-court?q=facet,metadata.WORK_StylePeriod1.en.keyword,equals,Northern%20Wei&offset=19&limit=25 ↩︎
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