The Mogao cave temples of Dunhuang have been shaped by more
than the Buddhist artists and builders who crafted the site over the course of a
thousand years -- the environment itself has played a vital role.
After
several decades of
research and conservation work
carried out by the Dunhuang Academy in collaboration with the Getty
Conservation Institute and others, we now have a greater understanding
of how the natural setting and local climate -- from the wind and the
desert sand to the water sources nearby -- influenced the design of the
cave temples and their paintings.
Not only is this knowledge critical to developing strategies for
preserving and managing the grottoes today, it also prompts art and
architectural historians to study the history of the cave temples in
connection with their broader ecological environment. What does an
earth-centered approach to the art of Dunhuang look like?
A Desert Oasis
The overall configuration of the Mogao Grottoes is key to
understanding the relationship between its art and environment. Nearly
five hundred extant caves are distributed over a half-mile along the
same cliff face in the southern tip of the Sanwei Mountains.
The heavy
concentration of cave-building activity in this relatively limited area
from the fourth to the fourteenth centuries underscores the remarkable
allure that the place held for the local community.
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Aerial
view of the Mogao Grottoes showing the location of the cave temples in
the cliff face. Poplar and conifer trees provide shade for the site.
Beyond the sandy expanse above the cliff rise the dunes known as the
Mingsha Shan, capped with snow. Courtesy of the Dunhuang Academy (Sun Zhijun).
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In material terms, the rock structure is the same for most of the
temples, and the general climate is consistent throughout the site.
Composed of conglomerate, a soft rock, the cliff was easily excavated
with hammers and chisels, and the cave temple walls were plastered with
sand, hemp fiber, and mud from the nearby Daquan riverbed before being
painted.
Despite working in the same location, different generations of
builders and painters dealt with these existing environmental conditions
in disparate ways.
When the site was first established, artisans focused on finding
appropriate materials and techniques to create an enduring work of art.
Their concerns changed considerably in the ensuing years with the
planning of new additions. Largely due to financial and time
constraints, these later craftsmen did not reinvent the site but rather
adapted new caves to the existing configuration.
When all the available cliff surfaces ran out in the tenth century,
however, the need to reconfigure the site anew arose. Builders added
many monumental cave temples by consolidating older units into one
location, and they consulted the work of their predecessors while
carrying out this renovation.
Their awareness of Dunhuang’s history of
construction and adaptation enabled them to better respond to the
immediate environmental pressures.
Flora and Fauna
 |
| Greenery
abounds in this landscape illustrating the Maitreya Sutra. Detail,
north wall, Yulin Cave 25. Late eighth-early ninth century (Dunhuang Academy). |
In addition to the physical setting, the mural paintings inside the
cave temples at Mogao offer ways to chart the shifting ecology of the
area. Take, for example, representations of plants and animals. These
paintings could be a source of information regarding environmental
changes over time.
Although most of the scenes depicted at Mogao pertain
to imaginary realms populated with Buddhist deities of all sorts, local
painters often imbued these religious scenes with a touch of reality
from their own earthly lives.
Indeed, plants and animals were often rendered with such remarkable
accuracy that it’s possible to identify the individual species. By
tracking when certain flora and fauna became prevalent subjects in
Dunhuang paintings or disappeared from the artistic repertoire,
researchers can infer whether climate changes contributed to the growth
or decline of certain types of ecological life in the region.
Over the course of a millennium, environmental factors in this desert
oasis shaped the very configuration and appearance of the Dunhuang cave
temples, and the discovery and study of these natural influences is now
more accessible than ever.
This post is part of the series
Cave Temples of Dunhuang, featuring stories inspired by the exhibition
Cave Temples of Dunhuang: Buddhist Art on China’s Silk Road.
See all posts in the series
