MUZI MUZIChinese Matrix

Grotto Art

Dunhuang murals together with the Longmen and Yungang cave sculptures, where native taste and art brought from the Western Regions and India blend on the rock walls.

Sixteen Kingdoms period to present
366 · OriginIn 366 the monk Le Zun began cutting the Mogao Caves, opening the tradition of cave murals and painted sculpture.460 · EvolutionUnder Emperor Wencheng of Northern Wei, the monk-official Tanyao directed the five Tanyao caves at Yungang, the first peak of imperial cave sculpture.675 · ImpactUnder Emperor Gaozong and Wu Zetian the Vairocana group at Longmen's Fengxian Temple was completed, a fully sinicized High Tang expression of cave art.
JinNorthern and SouthernTang
Sources (3)
  1. UNESCO advisory body evaluation, Mogao Caves (no. 440)
  2. Yungang Grottoes: Cave 17 (MIT Dome)
  3. Longmen Grottoes Fengxian (onmarkproductions)

A cave temple is a cave cut into a cliff, holding murals as well as carved and painted sculpture. The murals of Dunhuang and the cliff sculpture of Longmen and Yungang are together the representatives of this class.

In 366 (Jianyuan 2 of the Former Qin) the monk Le Zun began cutting the Mogao Caves at Dunhuang, and the tradition of cave murals and painted sculpture began.

Under Emperor Wencheng of Northern Wei the monk-official Tanyao directed the cutting of the five Yungang caves, and imperial cave sculpture reached its first peak.

Under Emperor Gaozong and Wu Zetian the great Vairocana niche of Fengxian Temple at Longmen was completed, and cave art moved to a sinicized expression of the High Tang. The styles that came from the Western Regions and India had by this time taken on a native look.

Grotto Art is the class in the chapter on Crafts on cave murals and sculpture: the Buddhist cave temples cut into cliff faces, with their murals and sculpture. The monk Le Zun began cutting the Mogao Caves under the Former Qin, the monk-official Tanyao directed the five Yungang caves under the Northern Wei, and in the Tang the great Vairocana niche of Fengxian Temple at Longmen was completed. Art from the Western Regions and India met native taste here.