An Art Historical Study of the Caves of a Thousand Buddhas at Dunhuang, China

FAIN: FEL-262307-19

Hung Wu
University of Chicago (Chicago, IL 60637-5418)

Writing an interpretation of the Buddhist art in the Dunhuang caves in northwest China, created from the 4th to the 14th centuries.

The Caves of a Thousand Buddhas (also known as the Mogao Caves) were constructed over a millennium from the 4th to 14th CE near the ancient border town Dunhuang in northwest China. Today 735 caves still exist there. Close to 500 contain rich murals and sculptures, comprising the largest, the most continuously created, and the best preserved treasure-trove of Buddhist art in the world. Enriched by the discovery of a large deposit of manuscripts and portable images at the site around 1900, the Mogao Caves provide an incomparable body of information to study ancient art---not just Chinese art and Buddhist art but also many kinds of artistic interactions along the Silk Road---in its natural environment. The research of these caves started in the early 20th century and has developed into a vibrant international, multifaceted field of scholarly collaborations.