The Shakyamuni Buddha triad image,dated the 6th year of Taihe(482),which was unearthed in Cheng an County,Hebei Province,bears significant scholarly value.The style of the image attests to the influence of the Yungang Caves,and of the elegant and refined style from the South.The two attendants are identified as Indra(Sakradevanam) and Mahabrahman.The origin of the iconography is associated with Gandhara art,however,it is more closely linked to that of Chang an.The seated Buddha on the reverse side of the image is the earliest extant image of Amitayus Buddha of the Northern Wei (386- 534). The Pure Land belief reflected in the iconography originated from Buddhism in Chang'an.
