Flying Apsaras Art, from India to China

This book is one of the book series The Silk Road and Dunhuang Culture. No matter in Yungang Grottoes， well-known for its sculptures and magnificent momentum， or Dunhuang Grottoes， famous for its murals and delicate decorations， we can see a unique image flying freely and beautifully in the sky. It is known as flying Apsaras in Buddhist art. Why are so many flying Apsaras carved or painted in Buddhist grottoes and temples? The answer can be discovered in this book.

Flying Apsaras Art， from India to China

Zhao Shengliang

Jiangsu Phoenix Fine Arts Publishing House

September 2016

58.00 (CNY)

Zhao Shengliang

Doctor of art and research librarian， former editorial director， deputy dean and dean of Dunhuang Academy. He is currently the Party Secretary and Chairman of the Academic Committee of Dunhuang Academy.

The flourishing period of the Tang Dynasty was the peak time of artistic development in the Tang Dynasty. In this era， the economy was advanced， the politics were unprecedentedly steady， and China-West cultural exchanges were frequent on the Silk Road. Under the enlightened policies of the Tang Dynasty， Buddhism also achieved unprecedented development. There were more than five thousand temples across all prefectures and more than forty private temples. In the fifth year of the Huichang period (845 CE)， when Emperor Wuzong ordered the destruction of Buddhism， more than 260，000 monks and nuns were secularized， nearly a thousand qing (1 qing =6.6667 hectares) of temple land was nationalized， and 150，000 servants were collected from the temples. This shows the prosperity of Buddhism before this time.

During the Sui and Tang dynasties， numerous Buddhist sects gradually appeared. The influential ones include Pure Land Sect， Tien Tai Sect， Huayan Sect， Vijnaptimātratā， and Chan Sect. The competition among sects greatly promoted the in-depth study of Buddhist thought and its further popularity among the majority of believers. At the time， temples in Chang’an and Luoyang invited famous painters and sculptors to construct sculptures and paint murals for them. Famous painters such as Wu Daozi， Yang Tingguang，" and Lu Lengjia left their masterpieces in the temples. The history of painting records that Wu Daozi paints Buddhist scripture figures with strange states and shapes， and none of them are the same. He also painted the hell described in Buddhist scripture in the Jingyun Temple of Chang’an， which frightened those engaged in butchering animals and other industries. They were afraid to kill， and some of them even changed their careers. These kinds of mysteries are usually recorded in the history of painting. Unfortunately， the temples of Chang’an and Luoyang from the Tang Dynasty disappeared. In the Dunhuang Grottoes in Northwest China， we can see many excellent murals from the Tang Dynasty， showing the magnificent， exquisite art of the Tang Dynasty.

In the grottoes of the Tang Dynasty， Buddhist scriptures become the main content. Buddhist scripture murals reflect a painter’s overall view of the Buddhist scriptures. Numerous figures and grand buildings show the ideal pure land with human luxury， which represent the complete Sinicization of Buddhist art. Of course， in the Buddhist world， there must be flying Apsaras. Painters depicted the beautiful image of flying Apsaras with great enthusiasm.

Cave 172， the representative cave of the flourishing Tang Dynasty， is a square cave with a funnel-shaped roof and an open niche in the front wall. The statues have been rebuilt by later generations， but the murals have kept their original appearance. Both the south and north walls are painted with Amitayurbhavana-sutra， magnificent composition and exquisite description. They can be viewed as representative art pieces of the flourishing Tang Dynasty. The cave roof is unique. The four drapes of the funnel-shaped top are painted with well-arranged Thousand Buddha motifs. The center of the caisson is painted with a big lotus flower， with complex patterns around it， such as scroll grass patterns， blossom patterns， and geometric patterns， arranging outward， layer upon layer. The outermost layer changes from a square shape into circles， where the tassels hanging from the corners around the canopy are painted circular， so that the canopy looks real.At the outermost edge， four-body flying Apsaras are painted in the space between the four corners formed by the intersection of the circular canopy and the square well. From a composition point of view， the organic combination of circular and square imagery makes this neat and slightly monotonous cave roof lively and dynamic. The circular cave roof lightens the heaviness of the square. With the help of flying Apsaras， the roof becomes ethereal and far-reaching， thus changing the dullness caused by its full composition. As a wonderful verse in a poem is called the “poetry eye” by ancients， the flying Apsaras is like the “poetry eye” that adds the finishing touch. Without a large space for the background， the flying Apsaras still roam in such a comfortable and free manner. The long ribbons show their relaxed and soft movements. A few simple colorful clouds bring out their easy gestures. Due to their existence， the world is no longer narrow， and the thoughts dance gently into outer space with the flying Apsaras.