Poetic Soul, Dancing Spirit: Chinese Art: Chinese Art

Author: Gong Yunbiao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: This manuscript is a comprehensive research monograph on Chinese flying apsaras art both domestically and internationally. The flying apsara, originally meaning "heavenly beings who fly in the sky," refers primarily to flying celestial beings who offer dances, fragrant flowers, and other gifts to the Buddha and Bodhisattvas in Buddhist art. In Buddhist scriptures, celestial beings often appear in scenes that praise and offer gifts to the enlightenment, vows, or teachings of the Buddha. The book provides a thorough analysis of flying apsara art, with clear statements and detailed narratives, accompanied by nearly 400 color images, making it highly valuable for both appreciation and reading. The book is divided into four parts. The first chapter traces the origins of the flying apsara artistic image, analyzing its sources and evolutionary trajectory from three perspectives: India, Greece, and the indigenous Chinese. The second chapter describes each existing Chinese cave that contains flying apsara murals and sculptures, covering 14 caves such as those in Xinjiang, the Dunhuang Grottoes, the Longmen Grottoes, and the Yungang Grottoes. It summarizes the distribution, characteristics, and evolution of flying apsara images, clearly depicting the process of their Sinicization during this period. The third chapter explores the aesthetic value of flying apsara art, offering an aesthetic perspective on it. The fourth chapter summarizes research on flying apsara art both domestically and internationally, covering aspects such as the rediscovery of flying apsara art, the discovery of the library caves in the Dunhuang Grottoes, and the dispersal of artifacts. The book provides a thorough analysis of flying apsara art, with clear statements and detailed narratives, accompanied by nearly 400 color images, making it highly valuable for both appreciation and reading.