Rubbing of Imperial Procession with Empress, taken from Northern Wei dynasty (386-534) Central Binyang Cave, Longmen, Henan Province China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911) or Republican period (1912-49)

Rubbing of Imperial Procession with Empress, taken from Northern Wei dynasty (386-534) Central Binyang Cave, Longmen, Henan Province

禮佛圖拓片，出自北魏（386-534）龍門賓陽中洞，河南省

1910–16

China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911) or Republican period

(1912-49)

rubbing

Rubbing only: 205.6 x 388.4 cm (80 15/16 x 152 15/16 in.); Overall: 227.3 x 406.4 cm (89 1/2 x 160 in.)

Gift of Yamanaka & Company 1916.65

Location: not on view

This artwork is known to be under copyright.

Did You Know?

A rubbing is taken directly from a carved stone’s surface, so the resulting image has the same orientation as the original carving.

Description

This rubbing was taken from stone reliefs commissioned by the Northern Wei emperor Xuanwu (reigned 500–515) in honor of his deceased parents.

In this rubbing, the empress mother is in the center, crowned with an elaborate headdress and attended by an entourage of palace ladies. The empress mother is about to place an incense stick into a censer held by a lady on the left side. Other attendants carry offerings for the Buddha, such as lotus flowers, a symbol of purity in Buddhism.

The second part of the imperial procession, showing the emperor with male attendants, is depicted in another rubbing in the CMA collection, 1916.64.