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Buddhist Art at Dunhuang
 After entering China, the Indian Bodhisattvas lost
their gender distinctions. The eight categories of supernatural beings after the
Buddha also lacked distinctions in age and sex. This feature may be seen in the
majority of early Dunhuang caves. On one hand, it conformed with the Buddhist
preaching that in Buddhak tra there is no sexual distinctions, and on the other
hand, it was also in line with the Confucian value system which shunned
physiological differences between the sexes and regarded nudity as an affront to
tradition and morality.
From the Sui
Dynasty (581-618), the Bodhisattvas underwent a clear process of
feminization. The faces of the deities became plump and charming. Greenish
moustaches appeared over their lips, they had flat chests and elegant and
graceful postures. Dao Xuan, the eminent monk-scholar of the early Tang
Dynasty (618-907), observed: "During the Song and Qi (420-502) of the Southern
Dynasty (420-589) Bodhisattvas had thick lips, high noses, long eyes, plump
cheeks ... like strong men. From the Tang onwards, the Bodhisattvas began
resembling female celestial musicians painted using soft strokes. Today, we
compare palace maids with Bodhisattvas." The figures of the Bodhisattvas painted
by Zhao Gongyou were colorful, soft and beautiful, with mysterious clothing and
beautiful eyes, like those of court ladies.
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After entering China, the Indian Bodhisattvas lost
their gender distinctions. The eight categories of supernatural beings after the
Buddha also lacked distinctions in age and sex. This feature may be seen in the
majority of early Dunhuang caves. On one hand, it conformed with the Buddhist
preaching that in Buddhak tra there is no sexual distinctions, and on the other
hand, it was also in line with the Confucian value system which shunned
physiological differences between the sexes and regarded nudity as an affront to
tradition and morality.
