Si, also known as bi, was used to scoop food. With carvings in intaglio and bas-relief, this piece has about the same motif as the contemporary bronzes.

This is a stand for jiangu drum, cast with three coiling-up dragons in high relief. Jiangu is a large barrel drum with both heads covered by stretched skin, mounted on a wooden pole inserted in a bronze stand.

In the pre-Qin period, it was very popular to combine a vessel and an image of creature, of either a human or an animal, into one work. The two human-shaped stands showcased here are typically cast into a man with arms folded over his chest and hands cupped for an insert.

This tomb guardian is shaped into a bestial body mounted on a wooden stand and surmounted by a pair of antlers, typically seen in the mythical Chu-State culture.

In the Qin and Han dynasties or even earlier, people sat on floor and thus ushered the use of weights on the four corners of a mat. This mat weight is cast in the shape of a tiger.

This non-Han figure wearing a pointed hat, has its origin in the Scythian Culture of the Eurasian Steppes. The work represents a vivid image of a man servant at that time.

This jar exhibits a realistic, complicated scene of the time, with Buddhist and non-Han figures bearing interesting Kushan tradition.

This statuette showcases both Gandhara tradition and localized features.

This statuette of Buddha wears a valiant look typically seen in the early and middle periods of the Northern Wei dynasty; it also indicates the impact from the Central Asian art and the Indian Gupta art.

Inscribed imagery of this type mostly represents Avalokiteśvara. This work was influenced by the Gandhara art as well as by the early Chinese Buddhist art then prevalent in Xinjiang and Hexi Region.

This statuette, dated to the late Northern-Wei period and featuring natural elegance and delicate beauty, was influenced by the Southern-Dynasties sculpture.

This statue of Buddha has a plump face and gracious eyes with a kind expression and a faint smile. He wears a raglan robe with the drapes downward and stretching outward, like a pair of decorative wings in the wind. Standing barefoot on the pedestal, the Buddha with his broad body and elegant gesture started the transition in sculpture from the Northern Wei to the Eastern Wei.

The limestone icon of the Buddha in this triad, with a long neck and sloping shoulders, has a peaceful and reserved expression. The lean, elegant body exemplified here is a distinctive feature of the Southern-Dynasties statuary.

This Buddhist stele is so named because it is engraved with its pilgrims’ names: Wang Longsheng and others. It is carved in bas-relief. The upper part of the stele carving shows the debate between Manjusri Bodhisattva and Vimalakirti. The middle part of the niche is enshrined with a Buddha and two Bodhisattvas. Beneath it is a Buddha worshipping scene carved respectively with groups of figures either standing, walking, or riding on horse or carriage. The figures in the scene were presented strictly according to the ranking of honorable masters to humble servants, with the former in taller and larger images and the latter in gaunt and timid images.
The carving of this stele is lively and vivid, embodied with complex contents, presented mainly through the skillful craft of bas-relief, with the carving on the back and the sides delicate and refined as well.

This pagoda tier was excavated in the East Gansu Province (aka. Longdong), where Chinese Buddhist sculpture illustrated the interchange between China and other Buddhist centers. A mixture of both Chinese and Western elements, the tier is carved at the bottom with animals from the Western Regions — lions, donkeys and camels.

The pillar has statuary of three buddhas and one bodhisattva enshrined at the upper part, below which is an epigraph recording the fact that more than sixty people from the Nie clan had commissioned this pillar.

The front of the stele is damaged. The middle and upper part is a niche, with a Buddha, a disciple and a Bodhisattva. Beneath both sides of the Buddha pedestal is a carved Dharma Lion with its mouth open and tongue out, strong and fierce. Two vajras in the middle are holding the pedestal with their hands, squatting sideways beneath it. There are two dragons on the niche lintel carved with refinement and delicacy. On both sides of the niche are carved three small niches lining from top to bottom containing a sitting Buddha. There are also three shrines on the left side of the stele arranged in the same way. Small as the niches and figures of Buddha are, just regarded as the foil and embellishment for the main niche and statue, the creators still applied their accomplished skills on every detail meticulously and optimized the style and appearance of each Buddha statue by different craft techniques such as fine carving and relief, making the whole layout a miniature of the statues in the cave of Grotto Temple. In the lower part of the stele is a long carved inscription, the calligraphy of which is neat and elegant.

The statue is carved from a white marble. His face looks plump with his eyes half closed, looking downward, and the corners of his lips rise slightly in a faint smile. Both of his hands are incomplete, but the preaching gesture is still distinguishable. The gorgeous backlight of the Buddha foils the five Buddhas sitting on lotuses among flaming fire, with a lotus pattern in the centre, surrounded by a circle of lotus motifs. Shakyamuni Buddha looks graceful and elegant, with a clear, wise and kind expression, bearing a bright, intelligent and kind look, coupled with the fine and magnificent backlight, which creates a solemn harmonious feeling.

This votive stele has numerous small Buddhist images surrounding the enshrined Śākyamuniin its front and Maitreya in its back. Such presentation was designed deliberately to manifest the continuation and infinity of Dharma.

The common bronze Buddha statue usually appears as a single piece, while this piece of work is presented in the form of an altar table, showing a sense of dimensional space, as if it is unfolding the Buddhist world in front of us. On this rectangular altar table stands an Amitabha with two bodhisattvas, two Buddhist pilgrims and two Dharma lions. There are two empty sockets on each side of Amitabha, originally designed to place statues of two disciples, which are lost.
The Amitabhā triad shows exquisite workmanship. The haloes were lost-wax cast in openwork craft, the elaboration of which is stunning. Every grain of the pearls on the necklaces of Bodhisattva is clear and distinct. The lines (such as the hair) on the lions in the front were delicately incised after the whole piece was cast.

Statues of pensive Bodhisattva originated in China. They were popular in the Southern and Northern Dynasties but gradually faded out thereafter. This work shows the image of Shakyamuni sitting under a Bodhi tree, reflecting on the impermanence of life before he became a Buddhist. This bronze Bodhisattva statue has a high hair bun, a plump face, with the upper body naked, presenting a full and round figure.
The neck ring, bracelets, and armlets he wears are plain and simple. The thin fabric fits the body and shows clear drapes. He sits cross-legged in contemplation in a graceful style, with his left elbow flexed propping up his leg, his right arm elbowing up, head tilting to the right, and eyes slightly closed, which creates a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere.

This Bodhisattva statue, created perfectly in proportion, projects a slim but toned physique typically seen in the Buddhist statuary produced in the Emperor Gaozong's reign, the early Tang period.

This work comes from a Lokapala statue located north of the eastern gate of Wan-fo-dung (Cave of Ten Thousand Buddhas), one of the Longmen Grottoes.

This work representing a Buddha's head came from a human-sized statue standing against the north wall of Fengxian Temple (the Ancestor Worshiping Cave) in Longmen Grottoes. Standing Buddha statues of such height were probably carved under the orders of Emperor Xuanzong or commissioned by his cronies to make merits for the Emperor.

Taoist statuary thrived in the Tang dynasty, for Laozi, the founder of Taoism, was worshiped by the royal family as its ancestor.

Plumpness is regarded as beautiful in Buddha statues in the Tang dynasty; both the Bodhisattva and also the Buddha statues look chubby, which indicate the generosity of the state and the strong national strength.
This kneeling Bodhisattva, made from white marble with meticulous craft, looks quiet and sweet with a full face and downward looking eyes. The long dress hung from the slim waist looks dynamic with vivid carving of the drapes. And the incomplete arms often associate with the grace of a Venus. This is a masterpiece of the Bodhisattva statues of the Tang dynasty.

Wooden statues of the Tang dynasty are extremely difficult to preserve. There is a hollow frame carved behind the niche of the wooden head of Kashyapa to support the halo on one hand, and unexpectedly prevents the wood from cracking on the other hand, allowing this work to be preserved till today. With the head about one meter high, one can imagine its giant body. The statue was placed in a temple, which must also have been very magnificent. It was decorated with heavy and bright gilding and color paint; however, the paint peeled off over the long years and the wood grain was exposed, showing the beauty and simplicity of wood carving art.

The musical practice as an offering to the Buddha in a Buddhist ritual, involves three things: chant, instrumental music, and dance. This decorative panel is carved with a musical scene, with a musician beating a drum in the middle, the other musician blowing a sheng (a pipe instrument) on one side and a dancer with a piece of silk covering her shoulders on the other.

This statue of the Bodhisattva has its body and limbs assembled with wood blocks before being coloured in later dynasties. It was probably produced in Shanxi Province.

Kāśyapa and Ananda, often placed on each side of the Buddha, are the two most renowned among the ‘ten principal disciples’ of Shakyamuni Buddha. Kāśyapa is looking to the left, with a calm and steady expression, standing barefoot on the lotus seat with his hands folded in front, like an ascetic monk full of the rigors of life. Ananda is standing bareheaded, with beads in one hand and the other overlapping on the wrist, like a witty child. With Ananda looking to the right side, facing Kāśyapa, the two disciples seem to be engaged in a friendly conversation. Their expressions are natural and lively, which is a manifestation of the joy of life. As a classic work of Northern Song statuary, this pair of almost life-sized statues of Ananda and Kāśyapa is of extreme rarity.

Kāśyapa and Ananda, often placed on each side of the Buddha, are the two most renowned among the ‘ten principal disciples’ of Shakyamuni Buddha. Kāśyapa is looking to the left, with a calm and steady expression, standing barefoot on the lotus seat with his hands folded in front, like an ascetic monk full of the rigors of life. Ananda is standing bareheaded, with beads in one hand and the other overlapping on the wrist, like a witty child. With Ananda looking to the right side, facing Kāśyapa, the two disciples seem to be engaged in a friendly conversation. Their expressions are natural and lively, which is a manifestation of the joy of life. As a classic work of Northern Song statuary, this pair of almost life-sized statues of Ananda and Kāśyapa is of extreme rarity.

This seated statue of Mahāsthāmaprāpta originates from the reaches of Fen River in the South Shanxi Province, where wooden Buddhist statuary thrived in the Jin and Yuan dynasties.

An inscription cast in the interior of this Vairocana statue gives "the 2^nd year (1163) of Shengming Reign, the Dali Kingdom" as the year of making and "Zhang Xingming and others" as the names of worshipers. Bejewelled Buddhist statuary was first created in Buddha-gayā, India, then introduced to Chang’an, China, and finally reached Yunnan via Sichuan Province.

This is a prime example of a mid-14^th-century Buddha statue, highly prized and produced in Dadu (the present Beijing).

This statuette, commissioned by the Imperial Household Department of the Qing court, has its reign mark cast in the lower front, which reads from right to left, "piously made in the Qianlong reign of the Great Qing".

This Tibetan Buddhist statuette of Vajrabhaira was produced in the 18^th century-Beijing.

This bird-like Garuḍa, as a Tibetan-tradition statuette produced in the 18^th century-Beijing, is using its mouth to hold a naga (aka. serpent) while trampling another underfoot, which indicates subduing every serpent in its nature.

These two carved panels showcase the scenes of the story "Zhuge Liang Outwitted Zhou Yu across the River for Control of Jing Province", a chapter from The Romance of Three Kingdoms.