The Northern Qi dynasty (550-577) produced a large body of important works of art during its brief existence. A central achievement of the period is the complex of Buddhist caves of Xiangtangshan and their stone sculptures and engraved inscriptions, created near the Northern Qi capital with official sponsorship. Unfortunately, the cave shrines are now severely damaged and the sculptures and fragments of carvings from the cave sites scattered around the world. The Xiangtangshan Project has sought to acquire a better understanding the caves in broader narratives of the art and visual culture of the Northern Qi period and of the history of Buddhism in China. The project work team assembled by the Center for the Art of East Asia scanned the sculptures and created 3D models of the individual sculptures and also took high-resolution digital photos of the sculptures and caves from different perspectives.

The project has also created a supplemental website for the Buddhist sutras and dedicatory inscriptions found at the site.

Above: Digital reconstruction of one altar of the South Cave, Northern Xiangtangshan, https://xts.uchicago.edu/content/technology. Xiangtangshan Caves Project, Center for the Art of East Asia, Department of Art History.

Top: Wireframe image of the tessellated 3D digital model of the South Cave, Northern Xiangtangshan. Xiangtangshan Caves Project, Center for the Art of East Asia, Department of Art History.