The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1918-04-18
CAVE TEMPLES IN CHINA
Exquisite Sculpture Revealed in Mountain Cavern
Probably of Grecian Inspiration
W. r. Giles. in "Asia''

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from the Ming Dynasty. Each
grotto is entered by square door
way, usually very highly orna-
mented, and fanked by statues in
high relief of the Guardian Kings.
Above the doorway there is in
most cases another square opening
intended to admit light into the
upper part of the grotto.
Usually the center of the grotto
is occupied by gigantic figure of
Buddha hewn out of the living
rock. The famous bronze Buddha
at Kamakura in Japan, although
of a much later date, is of similar
type. The pedestals, the walls and
the ceilings of the grottoes are uni
formly sculptured in relief with
Buddhistic figures and scenes from
the traditional account of the Bud
dha's life. Representations of pa
godas and temples also occur in
some.
It is interesting TO note here that
the Chinese temple roof had not
acquired its upturned caves which
characteristics the reliefs of the Han
Dynasty about the time of the
Christian era. The type of roof
which we associate with Chinese
and Japanese temples was intro
duced somewhat later, in the time
of the Northern Wei or perhaps
the early Tang and appears to
have come from northern India.
The theory that the Chinese roof is
a replica of the primitive nomadic
tent is utterly untenable.
It is probable that the statues
were originally painted and gilded,
traces being discovered which sup
port this belief. In some cases re-
cent restorations have been essayed,
not always with the most satisfac-
tory results from an artistic point
of view. Missing portions of the
statues have been replaced in clay
and plaster coated with paint of
the most glaring colors, serving to
emphasize the execrable taste in
which such restorations have been
conceived and carried out. Every
where is evident the destruction
wrought by time as well as by de-
liberate vandalism. Heads and
hands have been hacked off, dra-
peries defaced, and in some cases
entire statues have been torn from
their places. Numbers of these
statues and portions of statues now
repose in museums in Europe and
America where they have provided
a revelation of the high degree of
excellence of the Chinese sculpture
of the period. Most of the statu-
ary of China with which the Occi-
dental public has been familiar
dates only from the Ming period;
that is to say, roughly from the
close of the 18th century, and it
has been only within recent years
that the art of the earlier and
greater periods, notably of the
Northern Wei and the Tang Dy-
nasties has received attention.
1t has been established beyond all
doubt that Buddhist sculpture re-
ceived the major portion of its in
spiration from Greece through the
conquests Of Alexander the Great,
and that the Greek tradition was
not unworthily upheld by the Bud
dhist sculptors of China in the 5th
century is evidenced by certain of
these statues at Yun-kang.
II Towards the close of the 5th
century as the Toba Tartars ex-
tended their power they removed
their capital southwark to Lo-yang.
; a city which formerly existed a
; few miles eastward of the modern
, Honanfu. Near here, at a place
, known as Lung-men, in situation
, very similar to that of Yun-kang,
| another series of grottoes was exc
cuted, corresponding in general
: type to the rock temples of Yum