Research On Stages Of Sitting Buddha With Fear-not Sign In Early North China

In this paper,46 cases of early Sitting Buddha of Fear-not Sign in North China were divided into four types by using the methods of image and archeological typology:type A(12 pieces),type B(10 pieces),type C(12 pieces),and type D(12 pieces).From the fifth year of Taiping Zhenjun(444 years)to the first year of Longhua(577 years)in the Northern Qi Dynasty,the author discovered four obvious stages of change,which can be divided into five periods: the first period: the fifth year of Taiping Zhenjun in the early Northern Wei Dynasty to the first year of Tian’an(444-466 years);The second period: from the second year of Yanxing to the 23 rd year of Taihe in the middle of the Northern Wei Dynasty(472-499 years);The third period: from the first year of Jingming to the third year of Yongxi in the late Northern Wei Dynasty(500-534 years);The fourth period: the first year of Tianping in the Eastern Wei Dynasty to the eighth year of Wuding(535-550 years);The fifth period: the first year of Tianbao to the first year of Longhua in the Northern Qi Dynasty(551-577).By comparison,there are differences between the early statues of the Sitting Buddha of Fear-not Sign in North China and those of the same type in Longdong,Chang’an,and Henan regions during the same period.The Buddha statues in North China serve as a connecting link between the preceding and the following.On the one hand,they originated in Eastern Gansu,but on the other hand,they also affected the development of statues in Henan and Chang’an regions.For example,Hebei may be the birthplace of Buddha statues in Shandong.In addition,the early statues of Fear-not Sign’s Indian Buddha originated from both Gandhara and Mola factors.On the premise of retaining the basic image of Indian Buddha,they developed in a direction consistent with the localization of China.Finally,through comparative analysis,the gold and copper Buddha statues made in the sixth year of Taihe(482)included in "The Book of Chinese Art Classics and Eyes" and the sitting statues of Sakyamuni Buddha made by Chen Fahua in "Volume I of the General Atlas of Chinese Lost Overseas Buddhist Statues" are both fake.