Stele
550-577 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This unfinished votive stele, carved of a fine grained limestone, dates to about 550-577 AD. The front side of the monument, fully decorated, is divided into three main tiers with niches and Buddhist images; the other three sides are only partially carved in the top tier. The main figures refer to religious episodes described in key Buddhist texts. An incomplete inscription bears the names of the donors who paid for the monument.
This is a rare example where the inscription is incomplete, probably because the dedication had to be made on a certain auspicious day and the carver did not have enough time to include the names of all the donors.
This is a rare example where the inscription is incomplete, probably because the dedication had to be made on a certain auspicious day and the carver did not have enough time to include the names of all the donors.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Carved limestone |
| Brief description | Buddhist Stele, Northern Qi dynasty |
| Physical description | A votive stele carved of a fine grained limestone. The front side of the monument, fully decorated, is divided into three main tiers with niches and Buddhist images; the other three sides are only partially carved in the top tier. The main figures refer to religious episodes described in key Buddhist texts. An incomplete inscription bears the names of the donors who paid for the monument. This is a rare example where the inscription is incomplete, probably because the dedication had to be made on a certain auspicious day and the carver did not have enough time to include the names of all the donors. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Credit line | Purchased with Art Fund support, the Vallentin Bequest, Sir Percival David and the Universities China Committee |
| Object history | The stele was offered jointly by several families. This is a rare example where the inscription is incomplete, probably because the dedication had to be made on a certain auspicious day and the carver did not have enough time to include all the names of the donors. |
| Production | Northern Qi dynasty (550-557) |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This unfinished votive stele, carved of a fine grained limestone, dates to about 550-577 AD. The front side of the monument, fully decorated, is divided into three main tiers with niches and Buddhist images; the other three sides are only partially carved in the top tier. The main figures refer to religious episodes described in key Buddhist texts. An incomplete inscription bears the names of the donors who paid for the monument. This is a rare example where the inscription is incomplete, probably because the dedication had to be made on a certain auspicious day and the carver did not have enough time to include the names of all the donors. |
| Bibliographic reference | W. Zwalf (ed.) (1985) Buddhism Art and Faith. London: British Museum Publications, p. 200, cat. 286. Yetts C28 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.61-1937 |
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| Record created | March 16, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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