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Sichuan Museum - Ancient Sichuan - Gallery Three

Sichuan’s ancient statuary reflects a rich confluence of indigenous traditions, Han funerary art, and Buddhist devotion, shaped by the province’s mountainous terrain and spiritual legacy.

From cliffside carvings to temple guardians, the region’s sculptural heritage spans millennia. Early Han dynasty tombs, such as those at the Mahao Cliff Tombs near Leshan, reveal a fascination with immortality and cosmic order, often featuring guardian beasts and celestial motifs. As Buddhism spread into Sichuan via the Silk Road and inland trade routes, the sculptural language evolved—adopting Indian and Central Asian influences while retaining local stylistic flourishes.

The Sichuan Museum in Chengdu houses one of the most comprehensive collections of ancient Buddhist statuary in the region, offering a window into the devotional life of medieval Sichuan. Among its treasures are stone reliefs and freestanding sculptures from the Northern Wei, Sui, and Tang dynasties, many of which were originally carved into grottoes or temple walls. These works often depict serene Buddhas, dynamic bodhisattvas, and celestial attendants, rendered with flowing robes, meditative expressions, and symbolic mudras. The museum’s collection also includes rare examples of Vajrayana iconography, reflecting the esoteric currents that passed through Sichuan en route to Tibet and beyond.

Notably, the museum preserves statuary from sites such as Anyue and Dazu, where Buddhist carvings flourished in the Song dynasty. These pieces reveal a shift toward more narrative and expressive forms, with scenes of Buddhist parables, devotional rituals, and lay practitioners. The craftsmanship—marked by delicate chiseling and emotive detail—speaks to a vibrant religious culture that embraced both monastic and popular devotion. In this way, the Sichuan Museum serves not only as a guardian of stone but as a living mandala of the region’s spiritual and artistic evolution.

Entering Ancient Sichuan - Gallery Three

Pottery

  1. Pottery four-looped pot - Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-589). Baolun Town, Yanghua County, Sichuan Province, 1957 (now Baolun Town, Lizhou District, Guangyuan City). Unearthed from Cui Gaoqun.
  2. Pottery Fu - Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties (220-589). Baolun Town, Zhaohua County, Sichuan Province, 1957 (now Baolun Town, Lizhou District, Guangyuan City). Unearthed from Tomb No. 28 of the Cliff Tomb Group.
  3. Pottery Zeng.
  4. Pottery pot.
  5. Pottery bowl - Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties (220-589 CE), unearthed in 1957 at Mumashan, Huangshui Township, Shuangliu County, Sichuan Province (now Huangshui Town, Shuangliu District, Chengdu City).
  6. Celadon-glazed bowl - Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties (220-589). Baolun Town, Zhaohua County, Sichuan Province (now Baolun Town, Lizhou District, Guangyuan City) in 1957. Unearthed from Tomb No. 27 of the Cliff Tombs.
  7. Yellow and green-glazed cup - Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties (220-589). Baolun Town, Zhaohua County, Sichuan Province, 1957 (now Baolun Town, Lizhou District, Guangyuan City). Unearthed from Tomb No. 27 of the Cliff Tombs.
  8. Celadon-glazed Bowl - Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties (220-589). Baolun Town, Zhaohua County, Sichuan Province, 1957 (now Baolun Town, Lizhou District, Guangyuan City). Unearthed from Tomb No. 28 of the Cliff Tomb Group.
  9. Yellow and green-glazed Bowl - Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties (220-589). Baolun Town, Zhaohua County, Sichuan Province, 1957 (now Baolun Town, Lizhou District, Guangyuan City). Unearthed from Tomb No. 6 of the Cliff Tomb Group.
  10. Yellow and green-glazed four-looped pot - Jin Dynasty (265-420). Baolun Town, Zhaohua County, Sichuan Province (now Baolun Town, Lizhou District, Guangyuan City) in 1957. Unearthed from Tomb No. 23 of the Cliff Tombs.
  11. Yellow and green-glazed spitting jar - Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties (220-589).
  12. Four-looped jar with lotus petal pattern - Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-589). Collected in Deyang City, Sichuan Province in 1956.
  13. Celadon-glazed dish-mouth past - Southern Ming Dynasty (420-589). Unearthed in 1957 at Mumashan, Huangshui Township, Shuangliu County, Sichuan Province (now Huangshui District, Shuangliu City, Chengdu City).
  14. White glaze Huzi (chamber pot) - Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties (220-589).

Celadon-glazed chicken head pot
Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420). Huangshui Township, Shuangliu County, Sichuan Province (now Huangshui Town, Shuangliu District, Chengdu City). Excavated from Muma Mountain in 1957.


The tomb doors with Zhuque and animal head patterns
Jin Dynasty (265-420). Pi County, Sichuan Province (now Pidu District, Chengdu City). Unearthed from the Jin Dynasty Tomb of Lei Family Ancestral Hall.


Celadon-glazed jar with lotus petal pattern
Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties (265-589). Chengdu City, Sichuan Province. Unearthed from Yangzishan Brick Tomb.


Bronze basin with a pair of phoenixes and a pair of fish pattern
Jin Dynasty (265-420). Unearthed in 1957 from Tomb No. 23 of the cliff tomb complex in Baolun Town, Zhaohua County, Sichuan Province (now Baolun Town, Lizhou District, Guangyuan City).


Tomb guardian figurine (left)
Cheng Han (306-347). Unearthed from the Cheng Han Tomb of the Affiliated Hospital of Sichuan Medical University in Chengdu, Sichuan Province in 1966.

Tomb guardian figurine (right)
Cheng Han (306-347). Huangshui Township, Shuangliu County, Sichuan Province (now Huangshui Town, Shuangliu District, Chengdu City). Excavated from Muma Mountain in 1957.


Figured stele of the first year of Yongming in Southern Qi Dynasty sponsored by Shi Xuunsong

Inscription on left side:
«At that time, the town's main character, Zhuangqiu, was honored to be in the northern part of Huifuyuan.»

Inscription on the right:
«All things are impermanent, they are subject to birth and death. When birth and death are extinguished, the extinction of the image is bliss.»

  • This is the earliest existing stele of a statue wearing Han-style Buddhist robes in my country. It is one of the earliest examples of Buddhist robes with wide sleeves and belts in Chinese Buddhist statues, and a milestone statue in the process of the sinicization of Buddhist art.
  • The first year of Yongming in the Southern Qi Dynasty (483 CE). Mao County, Sichuan Province (now Mao County, Aba Prefecture) in 1921. Unearthed from the village of Dongjiaochangba.

Inscription on the left:
«On the fifteenth day of the seventh month of the first year of the Yongming reign of the Qi Dynasty, the monk Xuan Gao of the Cao Dynasty of Western Liang, in honor of the emperor, his ministers, his teachers, his parents, brothers, relatives, and all sentient beings, reverently erected statues of the two Buddhas, Amitabha and Maitreya, the future Buddha. He urged all sentient beings to develop a great aspiration, to clearly believe in the Three Jewels, to diligently cultivate the Ten Virtues, and to encounter the Three Assemblies of Maitreya at the Dragon Flower Garden. They would flourish, forever free from worldly attachments, attain the fulfillment of their Dharma bodies, and broadly benefit all, ultimately achieving Buddhahood. The monk Seng Chengchan attended and helped to establish this Dharma.»


Distribution map of Buddha statues

  1. Buddha - Southern Dynasties (429-589 CE). Unearthed from the Wanfo Temple site in Chengdu, Sichuan Province in 1937.
  2. Buddha - Southern Dynasties (420-589 CE). Unearthed in 1937 from the Wanfo Temple site in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.
  3. Buddha - Southern Dynasties (420-589 CE). Unearthed from the Wanfo Temple site in Chengdu, Sichuan Province in 1937.
  4. Buddha - Southern Dynasties (420-589 CE). Unearthed from the ruins of Wanfo Temple, Chengdu, Sichuan Province in 1953-1954.

Asoka-type Buddha
Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-589 CE). Chengdu City, Sichuan Province. Unearthed from the ruins of Wanfo Temple.

Asoka-type Buddha
Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-589 CE). Unearthed from the Wanfo Temple site in Chengdu, Sichuan Province in 1953-1954.


Sakyamuni statue sponsored by Kang Sheng
The front side features one Buddha, four Bodhisattvas, four disciples, and two Heavenly Kings; the back side features stories of the Buddha, preaching pictures, and inscriptions, and four Dharma protectors on both sides. Unearthed in 1937 from the Wanfo Temple site in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, in the fourth year of the Common Era (523 CE) of the Liang Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties.

Maitreya
There is a Buddha, two Bodhisattvas, two disciples and two strong men on the front, and a preaching picture on the back. Southern Dynasties (420-589 CE). Unearthed from the Wanfo Temple site in Chengdu, Sichuan Province in 1937.

Avalokitesvara statue sponsored by monk Fa'ai
The obverse features a Avalokitesvara, four attendant Bodhisattvas, four disciples, and two strong men; the reverse features a picture of worshiping Buddha, an inscription, and two Dharma protectors on either side. Unearthed from the Wanfo Temple site in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, 1953-1954, during the third year of Datong in the Liang Dynasty of the Southern Dynasties (548 CE).


Several Buddha heads

Figured stele
Southern Dynasties (420-589 CE). Excavated from the Wanfo Temple site in Chengdu, Sichuan Province in 1953-1954.


Celadon-glazed figurines
Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE). Wanxian County, Sichuan Province (now Wanzhou District, Chongqing). Unearthed from Ran Rencai's tomb in 1978.

  • Ran Rencai, a native of Kuizhou (present-day Fengjie, Chongqing) during the Sui and Tang dynasties, was a general in the early Tang Dynasty.
  • He was intelligent and ambitious from a young age, possessing exceptional military and literary skills.
  • He served in the Tang Dynasty during the Wude, Zhenguan, and Yonghui reigns, and was granted the title of Duke of Tianshui County by imperial decree. He subsequently served as governor of six prefectures: Jing, Pu, Li, Yuan, Jiang, and Yong.
  • He died in 652, the third year of Emperor Gaozong's Yonghui reign, while serving as governor of Yongzhou. In 654, he was buried at Wanfu Mountain in Nanpu, Wanxian County (present-day Wanzhou District, Chongqing).
  • The tomb was heavily looted, and burial objects were primarily unearthed from the left and right side chambers of the inner corridor. These objects generally conform to the "ninety items for those above the third rank" rule, indicating burials according to rank. Among them are over 80 celadon-glazed funerary objects, rich in content and unique in form. They include tomb guardian beasts, ceremonial figurines, horsemen, camels, horses, officials, attendants, child servants, musicians, human-headed chicken-bodied figurines, and the twelve zodiac animals.
  • Judging from their texture and glaze color, these celadon figurines likely originated from the Xiangyin kilns in Hunan. They vividly reflect the tomb owner's life and showcase the flourishing cultural exchange of the Tang Dynasty.

Gilt copper doorknobs

Silver-plated copper pig
Former Shu (907-925 CE). Chengdu, Sichuan Province. Unearthed from Wang Jian's Tomb in the Western Suburbs in 1942-1943.


Jade posthumous seal
Former Shu (907-925 CE). Chengdu, Sichuan Province. Unearthed from Wang Jian's Tomb in the Western Suburbs in 1942-1943.


Burial Goods
Former Shu (907-925 CE). Chengdu, Sichuan Province. Unearthed from Wang Jian's Tomb in the Western Suburbs in 1942-1943.

  1. Statue of Wang Jian (replica)
  2. Jade Huan
  3. Lamentation book
  4. Box of posthumous title book (replica)
  5. Box of posthumous seal (replica)

Funerary Figurines (Mingqi)
Later Shu (934-965). Excavated from the tomb of Song Lin of Later Shu in Guanyin Township, Pengshan County, Sichuan Province (now Guanyin Town, Pengshan District, Meishan City) in 1957.

  1. Figurine with pig head and human body. The pig-headed human-body figurine is one of the more common burial objects in tombs of the Five Dynasties and the Northern and Southern Song Dynasties in Sichuan. In fact, it is the Thunder God often mentioned in ancient documents and is related to the Taoist thunder method.
  2. Figurine
  3. Figurine
  4. Figurine
  5. Dog
  6. Figurine with two heads and snake body
  7. Prostrate figurine

Bodhisattvas

Bodhisattva
Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE). Unearthed in Kaiyuan, Qiyang City, Sichuan Province.

Bodhisattva
Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Nryana (Vajra Guardian)
Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE). Unearthed in 1954 at the Wanfo Temple site in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.


Statues of Buddha and Bodhisattvas

  1. Buddha - Sui and Tang Dynasties (581-907 CE). Unearthed in 1954 from the Wanfo Temple site in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.
  2. Bodhisattva - Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE). Unearthed in 1954 at the Wanfo Temple site in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.
  3. Bodhisattva - Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE). Unearthed in 1954 at the Wanfo Temple site in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.
  4. Bodhisattva - Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE). Unearthed in 1954 at the Wanfo Temple site in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.
  5. Pedestal - Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE). Unearthed in 1954 at the Wanfo Temple site in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.

Buddha
Sui and Tang Dynasties (581-907 CE). Unearthed in 1954 from the Wanfo Temple site in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.

Bodhisattva
Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE). Unearthed in 1954 at the Wanfo Temple site in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.


Bodhisattva
Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE). Collected in Deyang City, Sichuan Province in 1956.

The diagram shows the figure of a Bodhisattva, and the captions indicate the traditional names for their adornments and clothing. The terms listed are all typical elements found in representations of Bodhisattvas (beings who postponed their own nirvana to help others). Here is the translation and meaning of each part, starting from the top:

  1. Bao Ji - Precious Bun (or Turban/Precious Crown). Meaning: Refers to the elaborate hairstyle on top of the Bodhisattva's head, often adorned with jewels, flowers, or the image of a miniature Buddha (such as Amitabha in the case of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara). It symbolizes the Bodhisattva's spiritual royalty and enlightened yet worldly nature.
  2. San Dao - Three Paths or Three Lines. Meaning: These are the three folds or grooves on the Bodhisattva's neck. In Buddhist iconography, especially in early Indian and Chinese art, these folds are one of the 32 principal signs (Laksana) that distinguish a Great Being or Buddha. They symbolize the Buddha's clear, gentle voice (which resonates throughout the "three worlds") and are a sign of good fortune and virtue.
  3. Tian Yi - Celestial Garment (or Divine Robe). Meaning: Refers to the light, flowing uttariya (upper robe or scarf) that covers the shoulders. It is a typical garment worn by celestial figures or devas (gods) and Bodhisattvas, distinguishing them from monks (who wear simple robes) and symbolizing their divine origin and the lightness of their spiritual garments.
  4. Ying Luo - Pearl/Jeweled Necklace (or Jeweled Crown). Meaning: Refers to the long necklaces and garlands that fall over the chest and body. Bodhisattvas are traditionally depicted wearing the adornments of an Indian prince (Siddhartha Gautama being a prince before becoming Buddha). The Ying Luo symbolizes the virtues and meritorious actions accumulated by the Bodhisattva and their spiritual wealth.
  5. Bì Chuan - Armlet/Bracelet. Meaning: Refers to the ornaments worn on the upper arms (as seen on the left arm in the image). Like the necklaces, they symbolize the Bodhisattva's wealth and royalty, indicating that, unlike the Buddha, he still dresses in the adornments of a worldly being to better relate to and help sentient beings.
  6. Qun Shang - Skirt (or Lower Garment). Meaning: Refers to the lower garment, the antarvasa (skirt or dhoti). This is an ancient Indian garment and symbolizes the modesty and support that the Bodhisattva provides.
  7. Lian Tai - Lotus Seat (or Lotus Throne). Meaning: This is the base on which the Bodhisattva sits or stands. The lotus flower (Padma) is the most important symbol of Buddhism, representing purity and detachment. Just as the lotus grows in a swamp but remains pure above the water, the Bodhisattva lives in the world of imperfection (samsara) but is untainted by it.

The diagram is a perfect lesson in how Bodhisattvas are represented: as Enlightened Princes adorned with spiritual wealth, in contrast to Buddhas, who have stripped themselves of all worldly adornments.


Buddha and Bodhisattvas in bronze

  1. Gilt bronze Bodhisattva
  2. Gilt bronze Bodhisattva
  3. Gilt bronze Bodhisattva
  4. Gold-plated bronze Bodhisattva - Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE).
  5. Gilt bronze Bodhisattva
  6. Bronze Buddha - Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE). Unearthed in Qingyangchang, opposite Wenjiang Station, Chengdu, Sichuan Province in 1958.

Bronze Buddha
The second year of Renshou in the Sui Dynasty (602 CE), Collection of Sichuan Museum.

  • There is an inscription on the back of the backlight: "March of the second year of Renshou Zhang Jing made a Buddha statue for his parents."

See Also

Sources

Location

Location: 251 Huan Hua Nan Lu, Qing Yang Qu, Cheng Du Shi, Si Chuan Sheng, China, 610032