| Research Abstract |
I made a research in China and Central Asia (Xinjiang) during the year 2008-2010, and collected basic data of the Buddhist donor figures. The visited places are as follows.
Year 2008 : Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region Museum, Xinjiang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Kezil Grottoes, Kezilgaha Grottoes, Kumtula Grottoes and Xi'an Museum.
Year 2009 : Dunhuang Mogaoku Grottoes, Dunhuang West Thousand-Buddha Grottoes, Yungang Grottoes, Datong City Museum, Henan Museum, Jiaozuo Museum, Maijishan Grottoes and Shaanxi Archaeology Institute.
Year 2010 : Xi'an Beilin Museum, Zhengding Depository of Cultural Relics, Beijing Metropolitan Museum and Gansu Provincial Museum.
The investigation data brought the following knowledge on the representation, meaning and function of the donor figures.
(1)Donor figure is a kind of "ideal figure" rather than "portrait" in China.
(2) Donor figure was characterized by several factors of sex, age, social rank, priest or layman, etc.
(3) The number of don
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or figures, the names recorded in their titles, these basically show the real situation of the donor group. But, in the case of the emperor-empress donor figures, I think those figures are not of the actual emperor-empress.
(4) The costume of the donor figure is basically consistent with donor's folk. But when the costume is used for a government and a social system, donor's costume isn't always equal with their folk.
(5) In China, the donor figures were placed divided by sex. Meanwhile, in the Xinjiang caves, men and women donor figures were mixed.
(6) Early China donor figures were represented in equal size images standing on simple line. After the late fifth century, there appeared the "master -attendant" style donor figures represented in various sizes with complex composition in Luoyang.
(7) The many works donated by the "yiyi"(邑義) group or family group, had a social and practical purpose besides the belief of Buddhism. So, representation of the donor figures was more important.
(8) In the donor figures of family group, there were sometimes included the deceased.
(9) Since the 6th century, some donor figures were represented by the style like the tomb arts. In this case, Buddhism probably had a function of the funeral and ancestor-worshiping Less
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