Early+Chinese+Buddhist+images+of+the+Six+Dynasties+period+220-581+CE

The Han Dynasty sought contact with the West for trade and horses, and they tried to conquer and control parts of Central Asia. To the north were non-Hans, nomads. They had contact with the Western World, and their objects bare a resemblance to Greek and Roman art. Eventually, their art adopted Chinese characteristics as well.

This hu ewer was found in the tomb of a general, who oversaw and made great contact with Western regions. It is made of parcel-gilt silver. This was probably not made in China as it has a style similar to Greco-Roman art. The imagery is of Greeks, and the subject matter is of a Greek warrior leaving and saying goodbye. The figures are stocky and dwarfed with the classical ideal of Late Hellenistic, Greco Roman style. It also bares a resemblance to Persian art throught it's pearl motif. Perhaps this object was acquired through trade due to the increasing contact with the outside world.
 * //Hu ewer//, late 5-6th century, Leshan, Sichuan-**

This is called a "hunping." It was a new form of ceramic object. The purpose of a stoneware spirit jar was to give the spirit of the dead a home, so they could stay. On this jar is imagery of the Queen Mother of the West. There is also a depiction of the Buddha, which is evidenced by the bump on his head and his meditative posture. Images of the Buddha were not originally interpreted as a religious figure in China. Early images of the Buddha that flitered into China were associated with mortuary rituals and used for the body to be preserved or to have eternal life. The Queen Mother and the Buddha are connected because they both convey the sense of everlasting life. The Queen Mother holds the key to the elixir of immortality. And the Buddha holds the sacred power to overcome death, nirvana means everlasting life.
 * //Spirit Jar//, 294 CE-**

Mahao is found in the Sichuan Basin, an area that is rich in minerals and surrounded by mountains. The tombs are set up in a standard layout. There is a public space where rituals can be done by descendants of the deceased. And the deceased are kept in smaller areas in the back. The tombs however are shaft tombs.
 * //Mahao// tomb 1, Leshan, Sichuan-**

The earliest dated image of the Buddha, in China, is found here. It is found in a central location, that of importance. It appears above the entrance to a tomb. It retains the essential Buddhist elements, such as the halo, the bump on the head, a meditative pose and gesture, and he's holding his robe. The folds in the drapery, the way the garments cover the body and the simplified nature of the image are similar to the Gandhara style of NorthWestern India. Because of this similarity, it is thought that Gandaran figures may have traveled the Silk Road and inspired this image. (Giant Buddha of Mahao)

This image of the Buddha was cast in bronze than plated with gold, because the Buddha's skin was meant to have a golden glow. It is the earliest dated Buddha image in China, there is a precise enscription. It was created for the benefit of a deceased relative, the transferring of merit. It is very small, perhaps a foot high. It was intended to be a teaching tool, to inspire people to adopt Buddhism. The style is similar to that of Gandhara. The robes are flowing and cover both shoulders, the eyes are downcast and the hair is detailed.
 * //Seated Sakyamuni Buddha//, 338 CE-**

This bronze Buddha figure, while appearing very similar to a Gandaran style, has an elaborate flame-like halo.
 * //Seated Buddha//, 437 CE-**

The image was made of bronze and gilded in gold. The robes cover his shoulders, and reveal the body beneath it through drapery. In Buddhist lore, Maitreya is the Buddha of the future. He is meant to appear on earth in the future. He will usher in a golden age of Earthly Paradise. This depiction shows him standing with loosely identifiable //mudras//, as if the Chinese artists weren't sure where to put his hands.
 * //Standing Maitreya Buddha//, 477 CE-**

This is a bronze image of the most important bodhisattva in China. Padmapani is the lotus holder, and he is portrayed wearing a crown and holding a lotus flower. His importance stems from the Lotus Sutra. He manifest himself in unseen ways to save devotees from harm and spiritual ailments. In China he is called "Guanyin," which means to see and hear distress. It insinuates that he is over the world looking down and protecting.
 * //Standing bodhisattva (Padmapani)// 501 CE-**

A bronze image of the "Lotus Sutra" scene showing two Buddhas on a platform facing each other - Sakyamuni and Prabhutaratna. Sakyamuni is the present Buddha and Prabhutaratna is a past Buddha. This scene from the Lotus Sutra is one of the most influential texts in Buddhist teachings. It depicts the universal nature of Buddhism from the Mahayana school of Buddhism, which teaches that everyone can become a Buddha. During the Lotus Sutra scene, Prabhutaratna ascends down onto the stupa next to Sakyamuni and they begin to speak about Buddhism teachings together. This is part of the mantra of Mahayana, a school of Buddhism. They are portrayed as thin and elongated, a stylistic element that would become widespread in China. They are wearing "waterfall-like" robes, similar to the robes worn in Chinese courtrooms. The images reflect the changing cultural orientation in Southern China, and their assimilation in Northern culture.
 * //Sakyamuni and Prabhutaratna//, 518 CE-**