| Sui Dynasty is a transitional period in China's feudal history, witnessing the evolvement from the prolonged splitting after Han Dynasty to the national reunification and prosperity. Despite the crack-down of Buddhism during the reign of Emperor Wu of North Zhou preceding Sui Dynasty, the Buddhism resurrected since Emperor Wen of Sui Dynasty ascended the throne in A.D.580. Thanks to his command of poll taxation to finance the extensive scripture and joss remedy, the Buddhism came to enjoy a wide prevalence during his reign which advanced the Buddhist art to another height of splendor. It can be proved by Emperor Wen's saying of his rise being Buddha-blessed. Another indication in this connection goes to the emperor's royal rescript arguing that he was devotionally desirous of reviving the holy religion through becoming a Buddhist and following the Buddhist laws with all people around the whole country so as to practice goodness in this life which would ensure the universal consummation of his people in the next life. This is anthologized in the Second Volume of Analects of Sui Dynasty.At that time, the figure of stone-carving Buddha varies in style in different areas and there lacks a nationally unified pattern in spite of the culture integration of North and South areas since the Sui unification. In considering of the regional differences, the stone-carving Buddha falls into five styles: that of Shandong, Hebei, Shanxi, Henan and Shaanxi. Meanwhile, its regionalization was echoed by its contemporaneity. As the political, economic and cultural hub at that time, Chang'an and Luoyang of the northern China where stone figures were mostly distributed, served as the artistic center for Buddhist figuring. Additionally, bronze Buddha figure is in all probability connected with the stone-carving Buddha figure, with some bronze figures the utter copies of the stone Buddha figures. However, devoid of distinctive regional features and available records, the classification of bronze figure according to areas signifies a knotty problem. In this paper, such type of Buddha figure is divided in accordance with figure quantity into four groups, namely, the complex, the triple, the double, and the singles.Compared with those in North Qi Dynasty and North Zhou Dynasty, the stone-carving figures in Sui Dynasty—like the bronze figures—enjoy increasingly profuse styles. Firstly, following the North Qi's pattern, the stone Buddha figure in eastern area has wider shoulders that evoke a sense of bulkiness and a slenderer waist though still stiff and unbending. Its belly is protruded slightly in an arc, appearing relatively flat when seen laterally. The silk cape on its body tends not to be flapping which comes to be known as an innovation in Sui Dynasty. With respect to jewel lace, the X and U-style prevails and those worn slanting on one shoulder can also be seen in the eastern area. The ornamental pattern is either simplified or sophisticated. Secondly, the stone figure in western areas, owing much its influence to figures in North Zhou Dynasty, is svelter and more vibrant in terms of posture, better representative of the achievement of Sui's figure art. The jewel laces of Sui Dynasty... |
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