Beijing Cultural Relics and Masterpieces Series - Volume 1: Buddhist Statues

Author: Editorial Committee of "The Essence of Beijing's Cultural Relics" and Beijing Bureau of Cultural Relics
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-04-01
Features: This volume is the first part of "The Essence of Beijing's Buddhist Sculptures" in the series "The Essence of Beijing's Cultural Relics." Most of the artifacts included are from the collections of the Capital Museum, with the remainder from the Beijing Art Museum. A total of 178 sets of Buddhist sculptures are featured. Buddhist sculptures of other materials will be included in the second part of "The Essence of Beijing's Buddhist Sculptures" in the series "The Essence of Beijing's Cultural Relics," hence they are not included in this volume. The copper Buddhist sculptures in this volume are divided into two parts: Han Buddhist sculptures and Tibetan Buddhist sculptures. The era of Han Buddhist sculptures spans from the Sixteen Kingdoms to the Qing Dynasty, while the era of Tibetan Buddhist sculptures ranges from the Tibetan period of the Tang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. Both parts of this volume are arranged chronologically, with each era further categorized by Buddhist sculpture type: Han Buddhist sculptures are ordered as Buddha, Bodhisattva, Arhat, and Guardian Deity, while Tibetan Buddhist sculptures are ordered as Master, Principal Deity, Buddha, Buddha Mother, Bodhisattva, and Dharma Protector. The dates of Buddhist sculptures are indicated using Chinese historical dynasty names and the Common Era. The names of Buddhist sculptures follow established conventions, with indeterminate identifications marked with general categories such as "Bodhisattva Statue" or "Buddha Mother Statue." This volume includes "Buddhist Sculpture Art in Beijing" and "Beijing and Tibetan Buddhist Sculptures" as introductory and specialized essays. Each plate is accompanied by a brief textual description related to its content, which is appended at the end of the volume.