(Ph.D., Harvard University, 1997)
This dissertation proposes that the Dunhuang Caves, which form the largest complex of ancient Buddhist art in China, are mainly made for the public. With a public audience in mind, the patrons show their social status, political ideology and personal desire through the paintings and sculptures in the caves. Based on this proposition, I choose Cave 220, built by the local elite Zhai family in 642 AD, as an example to explore the relationship between Buddhist art and Chinese society, particularly the connections between art, religion and politics, during the Tang and Five Dynasties periods (618-960).
The paintings on the four walls of Cave 220 were covered by a layer of clay probably in the 10th century, and remained unexposed until the early 1940s. The original early Tang paintings, therefore, are now still very fresh and colorful in comparison to other early Tang Dunhuang murals.
As private property of the Zhai family, Cave 220 serves as an offering shrine for family rituals, a personal paradise for the deceased family members, and a political showcase for the living patrons. The ownership of the cave is clearly indicated by a striking inscription written at the center of the front wall and the portraits of donors depicted at both sides of the inscription. This proprietary identification also functions as social, political, and cultural identities of the Zhais, who continued to renovate and use the cave for many generations. who continued to renovate and use the cave for many generations.
This study examines the meaning and function of the original pictorial program of Cave 220 in the early Tang and deciphers the socio-political implications of its later reconstructions within the local-historical context. The significance of the family cave in the studies of social and cultural histories is extensively evaluated. My approach includes textual and visual sources from varied disciplines such as religion, literature, history, politics and popular culture. This multi-disciplinary study interprets the cave from different aspects and emphasizes its great value in the study of the humanities.
