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Unknown Maker, Chinese

Stela
Now On View

Maker

Unknown Maker, Chinese

Culture

Chinese

Title

Stela

Period

Northern Wei Dynasty

Year

400-530 CE

Medium

  • Gray limestone with traces of pigment

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

  • Gray limestone with traces of pigment

Materials

limestone, pigment

Dimensions

113 x 66 x 23 cm (44 1/2 x 26 x 9 1/16 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift of Manton B. Metcalf

Object Number

18.119

Type

  • Sculpture

Publications

  • Books

A Handbook of the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design

Exhibition History

Asian Art Galleries
Jun 10, 2014

Label copy

In about the fifth century, as Buddhism became firmly established in China with imperial support, many large-scale cave sites and smaller stone stelas were constructed, commissioned by Buddhist followers hoping to improve their karma.

On this stela, the historic Buddha is accompanied by two bodhisattvas, Guanyin to the right and Dashizhi to the left. In a large cloud behind them are seven smaller Buddhas of the past and a flaming mandorla.

Chinese Treasures from the Permanent Collection
Mar 03, 1989 – Apr 23, 1989
Rockefeller Asian Art Gallery

Image use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use.

Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, Chinese
Stela, 400-530 CE
Gray limestone with traces of pigment
113 x 66 x 23 cm (44 1/2 x 26 x 9 1/16 inches)
Gift of Manton B. Metcalf 18.119

To request new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

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