Unknown Maker, Chinese

This fragment is from Tianlongshan, a Buddhist cave temple in northeastern China. Carved over the course of two centuries into the sandstone cliffs outside the city of Taiyuan in Shanxi Province, Tianlongshan included a wooden temple and 24 shrine grottoes. This lively image of an adoring bodhisattva with swirling drapery was probably located in a niche containing sculptures of the Buddha and other attendants. Tianlongshan was partially dismantled in the early 20th century, and many fragments from the caves are found in U.S. collections today.