The Longmen Guyang Cave: Sculpture and calligraphy of the northern Wei (386–534)

The Northern Wei moved the capital from Pingcheng to Luoyang in 493. At the new capital, the non-Chinese emperor Xiaowen (r. 471–499) executed more aggressive cultural reforms than those implemented at the old capital. The aim of the so-called “Taihe Reforms” was to sinicize the state. The Guyang Cave, known as the first cave temple of the state among the Longmen group that was excavated after the move of the capital, is the embodiment of the emperor\u27s desire for sinicization. This study explores how the emperor\u27s cultural reforms affected the stylistic changes in sculpture, inscriptions, and calligraphy of the cave during the last decade of the fifth and the first decades of the sixth centuries. Clearly, the sculpture shows us the modification of dress code in both religious and secular figures; they were portrayed in a traditional Chinese manner. The inscriptions demonstrate the execution of a name code and convey traditional Chinese ideology. The calligraphy displays the change from the stele style to the Southern “model calligraphy” style. Each and every element in the cave thus represents a decision to follow the past and contemporary Chinese dynasties. In this respect, this cave is a political expression of the ruling class of the time. It is of importance because it shows how the art is profoundly tied with the social atmosphere and political situation of the time