Artist: Unknown
Title: Fenxian Tung (Cave 19),Vairochana Buddha
Material: hard limestone
Site: Longmen, Henan
Current Location:
Period/Date: Dedicated in 675 C.E., Tang dynasty
Iconography/Iconology: This image is identified by inscription as Buddha Vairochana. Traces on the now damaged image indicate the Buddha once made the lai ying, or welcoming, gesture greeting those who enter his paradise, Akanishta.
Stylistic Comments: While Chinese Buddhist art can rarely be called naturalistic in the sense of representing specific details, High Tang Buddhist sculpture such as this is extremely realistic. The body has a visible mass, the proportions are accurate and the folds of drapery, while idealized, is still within the realm of possibility. The vast majority of Tang Buddhist sculpture refelect most of these characteristics and led to an international style that included Korea and Japan.
