Costumes and Accessories of the Standing Bodhisattvas of the Sui Dynasty

This paper addresses the standing bodhisattvas of the Sui Dynasty,which are found everywhere in northern China,clad in beautiful costumes with various accessories.Nevertheless,regional differences also can be seen among them.For example,the jade-like stone accessories of the Northern Qi are different from those of the Northern Zhou.The Bodhisattva images newly appeared in Early Sui Dynasty exhibited a uniform trend though they could not be regarded as a uniform style.Focusing on the regions of the Northern Qi and Northern Zhou,this paper expounds the regional characteristics of the standing bodhisattvas of early Sui dynasty,analyzes the difference and relationship between the images in east and west regions of northern China,and then discusses the historical background for the creation of Bodhisattvas with accessories all over the body.