Mogao Cave 259

Mogao Cave 259 was built during Northern Wei Dynasty (439--534AD). It has a square main chamber and a half central pillar in the west wall. The front side of the pillar has a niche for a preaching scene of Sakyamuni and Prabhutarama sitting side by side. On either side of the west niche and on each of the north and south sides of the pillar is a standing Bodhisattva. The upper part of the niche is decorated with honeysuckle motifs+, and the traces of attached molded small thou- sand-Buddha figures in low relief (also called yingsu, which are lost now) on the north and south sides are still visible. Chapter of Beholding the Jeweled Pagoda from the Lotus Suzra says in the course of Sakyamuni's preaching, a marvelously ornamented and jeweled pagoda appears out of the earth and becomes fixed in the mid-air above the assembly. Sakyamuni opens the door of the pagoda with his right hand, and reveals Buddha Prabhutarama in meditative gesture. At that time, Prabhulanama invites him to sit beside in the pagoda to hear him preaching the Lotus Sutra. The heads of the Ranking Bodhisattvas standing with respect are sculptured in three dimensions. And the crowns and faces are molded true to life.
There are two levels of niches on sidewalls. The upper niches in the que from traditional Chinese gateway) on the north wall each has Bodhisattva in cross-ankled or pensive pose and lower arched niches each has a stucco seated in paryankabandha, or meditative or yizuo pose. The front ceiling is gabled, and the back ceiling is flat with painted latermendecke motifs. Only the sculpture in meditation in the third niche on north wall counting from west has been preserved better, whihc has a large usnisa, wide forehead, curving eyebrows, and plump arm and chest. The proportioned body exhibit some characteristics seen in the images during the Taihe era of the Northern Wei (477-499).