A Canon of Oriental Incomplete Beauty—The Exquisite Colored Sculptures Unearthed at the Yongning Temple Pagoda Site of the Northern Wei Dynasty in Luoyang

Abstract

 The artifacts unearthed from the site of Yongning Temple of the Northern Wei Dynasty in Luoyang, Henan, are most representative of colored sculptures and architectural components. Among them, the small figurine sculptures are the most exquisite, often displaying graceful, serene expressions, with a delicate elegance and tranquility. Their expressions, embodying joy that arises from within and a subtle, wordless smile, leave a powerful visual and emotional impact, transporting one to a serene and transcendent state of mind. The wooden pagoda of Yongning Temple is also a model of Northern Wei Buddhist architecture. Inspired by this pagoda, Empress Wu Zetian of the Wu Zhou Dynasty later commissioned the construction of the Heaven (Maitreya's Tusita Palace) in the capital Luoyang, creating two of the world’s most astonishing ancient wonders. Though the colored sculptures and the wooden pagoda base unearthed from Yongning Temple are incomplete, they still allow us to glimpse the exquisite craftsmanship of the sculptures and the unparalleled architecture.