Studies Of Grottoes Art Of Xixia State

The Xixia grottoes locate in the Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia areas, but the Dunhuang grottoes are the most and better kept. In this dissertation, using the Dunhuang grottoes, the Anxi Yulin grottoes, the Wan Fo grottoes in the Wenshu mountain, the Five Temples in the north of Gansu, the East Qian Fo caves as the main objects of study, and on the basis of extensive collecting of picture and document materials, we made a deep and comprehensive studies on the Xixia grottoes.My studies include five parts: First, I summarized the Xixia grottoes arts. And I then studied the building types of Xixia grottoes, their inner structures, features and origins. I also separated the Xixia grottoes into different periods according to the present archaeological materials. Next, we made comprehensive studies on the Xixia grottoes frescos. We described the typical grottoes frescos of the Xixia prior and later periods. On the basis of the comparison, we made thorough studies on the similarities and differences of the grottoes frescos in the Xixia prior and later periods. Number three, we made descriptions and analyses on the relict Xixia grottoes sculptures. Number four, through comparison between the Xixia and the Tangsong frescos and combining the related hostorical documents, we summarized the styles and features of the Xixia frescos.In the end, we investigated the historical role of the Xixia grottoes arts.