Cave 158, with Buddha lying in repose having achieved Nirvana.

Zhang Qian's journey to the Western Regions, Cave 323, Tang Dynasty.

Caravan from the Western Regions, Cave 420, Sui Dynasty.

Reproduction of Cave 249, featuring Asura, Chinese gods, the Daoist Queen Mother, and animals.

Cave 249 featuring the four-armed, four-eyed Asura supporting Mt Sumeru and holding the sun and moon

Cave 45, with Indian-influenced depictions of Buddha, disciples, bodhisattvas, and heavenly kings.

Cave 45, with scenes from the Amitayus Contemplation Sutra.

Cave 45, with scenes from the Lotus Sutra.

Cave 45. I'm not sure who the heavenly king is stomping on.

Four Sights, Cave 275, Northern Liang Dynasty.

Episodes from the Lotus Sutra, Cave 61, Five Dynasties Period.

Buddhapali's journey to obtain a sutra, Cave 217, Tang Dynasty,

Jakata of the Nine-Coloured Deer, Cave 257, Northern Wei Dynasty.

Princes listening to the dharma, Cave 103, Tang Dynasty.

Tonsure scene from the Maitreya Sutra, Cave 445, Tang Dynasty.

Western Pure Land in the Amitayus Contemplation Sutra, Cave 320, Tang Dynasty.

Donor portrait of Lady Wang of Taiyuan, Cave 130, Tang Dynasty.

Donor portrait of the king of Khotan, Cave 98, Five Dynasties Period.

Donor portrait of Cao family women, Cave 61, Five Dynasties Period.

Tejaprabha Buddha, Cave 61, Western Xia or Yuan Dynasty.

Wedding scene from the Maitreya Sutra, Cave 445, Tang Dynasty.

Ceiling painting with grapes and pomegranates, Cave 209, Tang Dynasty.

Archer, Cave 346, Five Dynasties period.

Donor portrait of the monks Cihui, Fayan, and Huijing, Cave 345, Five Dynasties period.

Asian Civilisations Museum: Sacred Caves

October 7 in Singapore ☁️ 32 °C

During a lunch appointment today, I received a message that the second laptop I sent for repair at Sim Lim Square would be ready around 4pm. With that in mind, I went back to the Asian Civilisations Museum to see the limited time Sacred Caves exhibit which I decided to forgo on Sunday because it was too crowded and noisy.

The Sacred Caves is an exhibit showing reproductions of cave paintings and statues discovered in Dunhuang, which was a major city on the Silk Road in the crossroads between China, India, Central Asia, and the Middle East. Apart from murals and artifacts, there were also reproductions of three caves:

Cave 158 (Tang Dynasty, 781-847) features a Buddha lying in repose having achieved Nirvana, with some followers mourning his passing, while others were more composed as they were cognizant that the Buddha has achieved enlightenment and had thus ended his suffering.

Cave 249 (Western Wei Dynasty, 535-556), which brings together Chinese, Indian, and Buddhist imagery, including Asura, the Chinese gods of thunder, lightning, wind and rain, and the Daoist Queen Mother of the West.

Cave 45 (Tang Dynasty, 705-780) featuring Buddha, his disciples, bodhisattvas, and scenes from the Lotus Sutra.

I found the reproductions and the artifacts on display fascinating given how the various cultures on the Silk Road interacted and influenced one another. I really should have trained as a Cultural Anthropologist. Anyway, I am now adding the Silk Road to my ever growing retirement bucket list.Read more