Buddha Gold

Buddha Gold entered China with the eastward transmission of Buddhism. In the tenth year of the Yongping era under Emperor Ming of Han, Kasyapa Matanga and Dharmaratna carried sutras to China on a white horse. The accompanying Buddha statue was leaf-gilded. Its solemn golden color inspired reverence in Han devotees, and Buddha Gold thus took root in China.

During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, large-scale cave temple excavation began across the land. Though the stone carved Buddha statues at Yungang and Longmen were not leaf-gilded, the skin tones of Buddhas in murals were depicted in Buddha Gold. In the Northern Dynasties murals of the Mogao Caves at Dunhuang, Buddha Gold combined with Western Regions shading techniques to create a uniquely solemn coloration.

Buddhism reached its peak in the Tang Dynasty, and Buddha Gold was heavily used for casting and gilding large bronze Buddhas. Though the Vairocana Buddha at Longmen, funded by Empress Wu Zetian's cosmetics budget, no longer retains its golden body, historical records state it was originally 'sixteen feet tall and illuminated heaven with its golden form,' giving a glimpse of its past magnificence.

With the rise of Chan Buddhism in the Song Dynasty, Buddha Gold shifted from colossal statues to refined desk-size objects. Small gilt bronze Buddha statues became devotional items in literati studies. Buddha Gold now accompanied the scent of books and ink, gaining a measure of refined elegance and introspection alongside its solemnity.

In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the imperial family devoutly followed Tibetan Buddhism. Buddha statues in the Yonghe Temple and the Eight Outer Temples of Chengde extensively used Buddha Gold. During the Qianlong era, thousands of taels of gold were used to gild the Maitreya Buddha statue in the Yonghe Temple. Amidst the ornate decorations of Tibetan Buddhism, Buddha Gold displayed a unique sinicized-Tibetan blended splendor.