Buddhist Sculpture

The formal record for Chinese Buddhist sculpture appeared after 200. The first definite record of Buddhist sculpture in Chinese history was made in the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280), which records that There is a golden bronze figure of Buddha in Futu Ancestral Hall.

The extant golden bronze figure of Buddha built in the fourth year (338) of the Jianwu reign of the Latter Zhao Dynasty is the earliest Buddha with definite record in China. It also indicates that individual Buddhist sculptures with a fixed model had been popular by then in China.

Once introduced into China, figures of Buddha in India were altered according to Chinese aesthetic conception and standard. Figures of Buddha in the early stage of Buddhist sculpture featured a full round face, fat and strong body and calm expression. After Emperor Xiaowen succeeded to the throne, he carried out a policy to promote the customs of Han nationality and moved his capital to Luoyang City. Figures of Buddha, influenced by the style of "elegance and delicacy", featured a thin face and elegant bearing, which was a combination of the styles of the Southern Wei (420-589) and Northern Wei (386-581) dynasties with Longmen Grottoes as the representative.