There are only four stone columns left in Emperor Xiaojing’s tomb. These columns are 6.50m high and have a diameter of 2.4m girth. They are divided into the base, body and cover of the column. From the shape and decoration of stone columns of the Southern Dynasties, we can see that the style was indirectly affected by the cultures of ancient Greece and India. Exchanges between occidental and oriental countries were very extensive. The sculpture of the lotus throne was influenced by Buddhist art.
Most funeral objects and artwork in ancient Chinese coffin chambers are pottery figures. The pottery figures from the Northern Dynasties inherited from the Han Dynasty a tradition of carving expressions. The pottery figures include maids, musicians, warriors, troopers, bodyguards, servants, oxcarts, horses, camels, etc. The maid images are similar to the stone carvings of Buddha in their facial form, expression and posture. Female figures are pretty and slim, different from the plump beauty valued during the Tang Dynasty.
As a whole, sculptural art from the Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern dynasties forms a link between sculptures from the preceding Eastern and Western Han dynasties and the following Sui and Tang dynasties. There are more than 20 emperor tombs and stone statues near Nanjing, forming the body of stone sculpture work from the Northern and Southern Dynasties. The style of the stone carvings in the emperor tombs from the Southern Dynasty discovered in Shaanxi, Henan, Hebei, Shanxi and other places is different from that of the Northern Dynasty. The unearthed stone tomb doors, kistvaens and kistvaen beds from the Northern Dynasty have great artistic value.
Emperor stone carvings in the Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty brought with it the second hide tide of emperor tombs in Chinese history. The architectural style of these tombs further developed the form of the Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties. The Eighteen Imperial Tombs of the Tang Dynasty include the tomb of the empress Wu Zetian and those of another 17 Tang emperors. They were buried on the northern bank of Weishui River, Shaanxi Province. They are known as “Eighteen Imperial Tombs at Guanzhong.”
The tombs of Tang Dynasty emperors were built near mountains to take advantage the natural land formations. the Qianling Mausoleum, the tomb of the third Tang emperor, Li Zhi, and Empress Wu Zetian, are located on the peak of lofty Liangshan Mountain, about twenty or thirty meters higher than the mausoleums from the Qin and Han dynasties.
Qianling was originally enclosed by two walls. Investigation and prospecting uncovered remains of the inner wall, four gates, a sacrificial hall and some corner parts of the outer wall. The southern gate was called Zhu Que Men (Rosefinch Gate), and it was a place to hold a sacrificial ceremony. Numerous buried tombs are distributed between the first and second gate. The number of tombs accompanying that of Tang Taizong (599–649) is 167.
The stone carvings and inscriptions in Tang Dynasty emperor tombs occupy an important place in the history of Chinese sculpture. The best of them are represented by the stone carvings of the Six Steeds of the Zhaoling Mausoleum, representing the artistic level and elegance of emperors’ mausoleums from the Tang Dynasty.
Six Steeds of the Zhaoling Mausoleum
Zhaoling is the mausoleum of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin. He was one of China’s great emperors. Under his reign, the famous rule of Zhenguan emerged (Zhenguan is the name of his era), which laid a solid foundation for the economic and cultural development of the Tang Dynasty. The construction of Zhaoling is luxurious and majestic.
The six steeds represent the precious warhorses of Taizong, on which he fought the battles for the unification of China. Emperor Taizong ordered the stone carvings of the six steeds be put right beside the mausoleum when construction began to commemorate the battle achievements of these horses. The six horses are: Telebiao, Qingzhui, Shifachi, Saluzi, Quanmaoguo and Baitiwu.
The steeds had different horsehair colors, vigorous posture and extraordinary temperament. The last two stone horses were stolen and sold abroad in 1914 and are now on display at the Pennsylvania Philadelphia Museum. The postures, characters and gallop of the horses are depicted vividly through the relief sculpture technique.
Stone Lion at the Shunling Mausoleum
The Shunling Mausoleum was the tomb of Yang Shi, the mother of Empress Wu Zetian in the Tang Dynasty. In the first year (670) of the Xianheng reign, Yang Shi died and was buried under the name of Li Wang. Wu Zetian granted her mother the title of Empress Xiao Minggao and named the tomb the Shunling Mausoleum after declaring herself empress. Twelve stone people, one stone sheep and a stone lion, one ornamental column and one lotus throne stand in ront of the tomb. The east gate, west gate and north gate have a stone lion each. A pair of horses stands outside the north gate and a pair of walking lions and tianlu guard the south gate. The walking lion and stone tianlu are the masterpieces of the Shunling Mausoleum. The stone lion has a huge body, is 4m tall, with curly hair, extrusive eyes and a grand nose.
Carved stone of the Qianling Mausoleum
