Central Asian Buddhist art within the period of the 7th century can be viewed as stages of an evolutional process: 1. The earliest stage of Buddhist art, which contained non-Buddha images; 2. The golden age of Buddhist art with splendorous Buddhist temples and large Buddha figures; and 3. A period of decline.
In addition to Xuanzang’s Da Tang Xi Yu Ji , the sources for this study include research findings of the Central Asian, Indian, European, American, Chinese, and Japanese scholars, as well as materials collected by the author during a trip to Central Asia.
This study summarizes the styles and features of Central Asian Buddhist art within the period of the 7th century. It identifies the cultural background of some Central Asian Buddhist art forms. It also proposes a possible connection between the Central Asian steppe culture and the style of the Gandharian Buddhisattva statues. It attempts to find the meaning of the golden decoration on Buddhisattva statues found in Gandharian Buddhist art by connecting it to the clothing tastes and aesthetic view points of the steppe culture’s aristocrats.
Keywords:
steppe culture; Kuṣana / Kṣāṇa; Sassanian Dynasty; Saka; Gandhara