Cave 18

Northern Wei, 460-465
Yungang Grottoes, Datong

The multiplicity of Buddha figures, that cover the robe and sleeve of this colossal standing figure, will immediately remind any viewer of the cosmic Buddha, Vairocana. However, its inscriptional identification as Shakyamuni seems secure, reminding us that any Buddha can manifest numerous other Buddhas from its body. A Bodhisattva, crowned by disciples, appears on the viewer's right. Small puncture-holes in the body of the principal image held pegs, that once attached a coat of plaster to the body.