A Study on the Western Pure Land Illustration in Cave 127 at the Maijishan Grottoes
Cave 127 is representative of the artistic content of the Maijishan Grottoes,as it contains several innovative illustrations created with excellent technique.In addition,because it was sponsored by Empress Yifu of the Western Wei dynasty,it also shows the highest level of artistic development of this dynasty.It is for these reasons that this cave has become a focal point for academic research.Due to serious damages accrued over the history of the cave,several important iconographical clues have long been ignored.This study brings this overlooked content into the foreground by interpreting details of the sutra illustration on the western wall of cave 127,and by comparing the text of the Pure Land and Lotus sutras.The results of this study lead to the conclusion that the mural on the western wall is most likely a depiction of the Lotus Sutra that accentuates the episodes of Sakyamuni Buddha giving predictions to his four great disciples and the"Dragon Lady"achieving enlightenment after being reborn as a man.Not only does the scriptural content of the murals complement that of the other mural themes in the cave,the visual elements of the paintings also give prominence to the female figures of Buddhist lore;all of which achieves a combined effect of highlighting the presence of Empress Yifu.
Maijishan Grottoes cave 127Empress YifuWestern Pure Land illustrationLotus Sutra illustration
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