四佛塔基 - 美国大都会艺术博物馆展品查阅

品名（中）	四佛塔基
品名（英）	Pagoda base with four Buddhas
入馆年号	1988年，1988.303
策展部门	亚洲艺术（Asian Art）
创作者
创作年份	公元 550 - 公元 585
创作地区
分类	雕塑（Sculpture）
尺寸	高 95 英寸 (241.3 厘米); 宽 (one face) 67 1/2 英寸 (171.5 厘米)
介绍（中）	小而方形的宝塔式神社的建造似乎始于北齐时期的中国，并在唐朝（618-907）蓬勃发展。与其他例子的比较表明，这座神社曾经矗立在一个方形的，可能是阶梯式的底座上，并由圆顶或分层屋顶覆盖。它的外墙以突出的入口为标志，围着一根柱子，上面有四尊佛像;虽然它们不能再被准确识别，但它们可能代表了六世纪对中国修行最重要的佛陀。每面墙上都有一个门楣，门楣上有多个坐佛的形象。成对的龙填满了上层登记册，守护者和狮子（许多现在失踪了）保护入口。神社的内墙上雕刻着一排排多尊小佛。它们表现出姿势和服装的变化，象征着宇宙中许多佛陀的内在性。在中国东北可以找到许多这种类型的神社，并且通常与着名僧侣的遗骸有关，这表明它们可能被用作陪葬纪念碑。然而，这个例子中突出的中央支柱表明，神龛可能被用于可视化练习，重点是这些特定的佛像。
介绍（英）	The construction of small, square, pagoda-like shrines appears to have begun in China during the Northern Qi period, and flourished through the Tang dynasty (618–907). Comparisons with other examples suggest that this shrine once stood on a square, possibly stepped, base and was capped by either a domed or tiered roof. Its exterior walls, marked by prominent entryways, enclose a pillar with four Buddhas; although they can no longer be accurately identified, they likely represented the Buddhas most important to Chinese practice during the sixth century. Each wall is capped by a lintel that bears representations of multiple seated Buddhas. Paired dragons fill the upper registers and guardians and lions (many now missing) protect the entryways. The shrine’s interior walls are carved with rows of multiple tiny Buddhas. Exhibiting variations in posture and clothing, they symbolize the immanence of many Buddhas in the cosmos. Numerous shrines of this type can be found in northeast China and are often associated with the remains of notable monks, indicating that they may have functioned as funerary monuments. However, the prominent central pillar in this example suggests that the shrine may have been used for visualization exercises, with a focus on these particular Buddhas.