Recent excavations at sites such as Hsiu-te Ssu, Kao-ch'eng Hsien, and Yeh-nan Ch'eng have yielded over one hundred sculptures dated to the period of the Northern Ch'i dynasty (550-577). When combined with works of hitherto unknown provenance in Western and Japanese collections, this new corpus of dated materials allows for the definition of the stylistic evolution of Northern Ch'i Buddhist sculpture. In particular, the development of sculptural traditions at the Northern Ch'i court of Yeh is clarified.
Sculpture from Yeh is characterized by a rapid stylistic evolution and the concomitant assimilation of varying prototypes. Sculpture dated to the opening years of this period is typified by a rising interest in the depiction of human form and a subsequent diminishing of drapery. Sculpture dated to the latter half of the period is broader and thinner than earlier Northern Ch'i sculpture. While the concern for volume found in the former reflects Central Asian prototypes, the drapery, hairstyles, and facial features which typify late Northern Ch'i sculpture are indicative of rising Indian influence.
The paradigm provided by the definition of the stylistic development of Buddhist sculpture from Yeh allows for an understanding of the chronology of the cave-temples at Hsiang-t'ang Shan and T'ien-lung Shan: similarly, free-standing sculptures from Honan and Shansi may also be dated more precisely.
Moreover, an understanding of the stylistic evolution of Northern Ch'i Buddhist sculpture helps to clarify its inconographic development. Due to the patronage of the Ti-lun sect at the court, images of ssu-wei figures, representing the inhabitants of the Tusita paradise, abound in Northern Ch'i sculpture from Hopei. During the latter half of this era, such images are combined with the bejewelled standing bodhisattvas which are prevalent in Shansi province, to provide visual stimulus for the development of the cult of the buddhist paradises.
