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Art of Asia
Course: Art of Asia > Unit 2
Lesson 8: Period of division (220–589 C.E.)- Period of Division (220–589 C.E.), an introduction
- Longmen caves, Luoyang
- Longmen Grottoes (UNESCO/NHK)
- Yungang grottoes
- Bodhisattva
- Western Paradise of the Buddha Amitabha
- Cosmic Buddha Vairochana with the Realms of Existence
- Base of a funerary couch
- The Wirkak (Shi Jun) Sarcophagus
- Cultural exchange and integration, a Khotanese carpet on the Silk Road
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Longmen Grottoes (UNESCO/NHK)
The grottoes and niches of Longmen contain the largest and most impressive collection of Chinese art of the late Northern Wei and Tang Dynasties (316-907). These works, entirely devoted to the Buddhist religion, represent the high point of Chinese stone carving.
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So China and Japan are working together on the preservation? That is good news.(7 votes)
There was no date on the film. Googled and came up with a date for start of work in 1951, last date mention was 1999. Again we bump up against information release times.(4 votes)
At1:35, you mentioned that the Buddha is believed to be sponsored by the Empress Wu Zetian (武则天). She surely had a strong connection with Buddhism, but was it the only reason for her to be interested in sponsoring this particular Buddha sculpture?(1 vote)
Hope it helps. There are multiple claims stating that Zetian is building the statues partly according to her own face. This is like some sign of giving her the legitimacy of rule in a male dominated society. Moreover, Zetian sponsored a great number of translation works of buddhist canons, supported the woodblock printing of some, which survived in a stupa in Kyoengju, S. Korea, and wrote a famous verse lauding the supremacy of buddhist teachings (开经偈), which is often recited prior to reading sutras by buddhists. The aforementioned legitimacy may, to some extent, come from her building her impression in the public as a buddhist empress.(5 votes)
Wait so are the Ajanta Caves and The Longmen caves similar?(2 votes)
I have never heard of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Was it a short dynasty or like an unpopular one?(1 vote)- The Northern Wei Dynasty was more than a century long. It existed from 386 to 534/5.(2 votes)
If it is mostly filled with Buddhist statues, why is it called The Longmen Grottoes?(0 votes)
What happened to these artistic and religious treasures during the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution operated by the Maoists in the 1960s and 70s? Were they neglected, protected or damaged?(0 votes)
1:35