The Study On Bodhisattvas Statue In Shandong Region In The Late Northern Dynasties

In ancient Chinese history, the Wei, Jin and the Northern and Southern Dynasties was a special period, during which multinational civilizations conflicted and integrated, and the society was suffering from disorder and recombination. It was also a vital phase in Buddhist history. Shandong region was one of the most important regions as to northern Buddhism propagation, where remains many Buddhism statues, engraved inscriptions and temples produced from the Middle and Late Northern Wei to the Northern Qi periods up to now. According to statue materials, Bodhisattvas belief was most prevailing in Shandong region in the Late Northern Dynasty. Owing to increasingly discovery of individual statues, we are offered the opportunity to promote our research to a new level.Based on analysis of a large number of materials, this thesis attempts to reveal and summarize phased and regional characteristics of Bodhisattvas statues by typology methods, and further form Assortments in terms of epoch and region, to find out the differences and relations and Development Tracks among them, in the meanwhile, compare them with the regional characters of surrounding Buddhist relics, then make clear of the characteristics development process of regional Bodhisattvas statues. Besides, the thesis tries to explain the situations and implications of widespread Bodhisattvas belief in the Northern Dynasties in Shandong region, and puts them into the background of the history and the phased characteristics of Buddhism propagation. The thesis consists of five chapters. The first chapter analyzes the materials of Bodhisattvas statues in the middle and Late Northern Wei Dynasty, the Eastern Wei and the Northern Qi Period by typology methods. Firstly, Bodhisattvas statues are classified into three categories according to raw materials; they are bronze statues, stone statues and Earthenware statues. Stone statues are further classified into Cliffside statues and individual statues. As to individual statues, including bronze individual statues and stone individual statues, they are also divided into two types separately in the light of screened back. Based on the above, the thesis studies every type, investigates the relative factors, such as physiognomy, Posture and costume and so on, then analyzes by typology methods to make the changing characteristics and rules of development clear. The second and third chapters separately discuss stages and periods base on the first chapter, Inspect the evolution of their styles referring to statues that can tell the time of production, classify the developing process of Bodhisattvas statue into three stages in the Late Northern Dynasty, Divide Shandong region into four districts according to geographical difference, then analyze and compare climate and characteristics of statues. The fourth chapter probes into Buddhist relics during the southern dynasties, such as white stone individual statues, grotto sculptures in Central Plains and stone carvings at the Wanfo Temple in the outskirts of Chengdu, finds out the characteristics of Bodhisattvas statues in Shandong region and their origins and trends, emphasizes internal factors in the process of absorbing and developing outer styles to form its own style in Qingqi Region. The fifth chapter discusses the prevailing phenomena and reasons of Bodhisattvas belief during the late Northern dynasties in Shandong region. The conclusion part reviews the whole thesis and brings up the questions to resolve.The thesis aims at studying traces of Bodhisattvas statues during the Late Northern Dynasties in Shandong region systematically, discusses their origins and trends, finds out information behind statues under conditions of phased characteristics of Buddhism propagation, history background and the characteristics of regional culture, attempts to explain special phenomena, and then partly returns to the original conditions that the mass worshiped Bodhisattvas.