Ideas of Immortality and the Clay Buddha Image from Yibin, Sichuan, China

Summary

In 2012, the Sichuan Provincial Institute of Archaeology excavated a group of cliff tombs in Nanxi County, Yibin; grave M12 at this site revealed a clay Buddha image. This paper argues that this is the base of an object dating between the late Eastern Han and the Shu Han period (AD 25-263) that is similar to the bases of money trees molded in the shape of a seated Buddha or Queen Mother of the West. The image thus likely developed from the image of the Queen Mother of the West as seen at the base of such objects. Even though the Buddha image from Yibin is rather different from the Buddha images seen on money trees from Sichuan, this paper argues that both images reflect a shared belief in immortal beings. The paper furthermore shows that this image shows local traits that are particular to early Buddha images from southern Sichuan.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Recent Developments in East and Southeast Asian Archaeology I: Material Culture Studies

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 15049