This paper explores three remarkable examples of ancient Asian art, architecture, and funerary practice through the device of a first-person historical travelogue. The author examines Chinese jade burial suits of the Han Dynasty, tracing the material's mystical significance from the Neolithic period through elaborate imperial burial customs. The paper then turns to the construction of Japan's Hōryū-ji Temple in 607 CE, the world's oldest surviving wooden structure, built to spread Buddhism under Prince Shōtoku's patronage. Finally, it surveys India's Ellora Caves, a multi-religious rock-cut complex representing Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain traditions carved between 550 and 998 CE, highlighting the remarkable religious tolerance of medieval India.
During my travels throughout ancient China, one of the more peculiar beliefs I encountered was the notion that jade holds mystical powers capable of preventing the body from decaying. I am currently in Chang'an, the capital of the dynasty, known in the present day as Xi'an. The year is 192 CE. The people of the Western Han Dynasty universally agree that this supposedly magical material is the essence of mountains, and because it prevents the decomposition of the physical form, it may in fact ensure rebirth. As of the present day, very few of these jade burial suits still exist, and it may seem ambiguous as to whether they were a passing fad or a momentary excess among emperors. However, upon my investigation of the long-forgotten past, I have found that this practice of burying the dead with jade — or wearing it — is a rather common occurrence, and fits well with the beliefs of the inhabitants of this vast land.
The practice and creation of jade burial objects appears to predate the Han Dynasty I am currently visiting. Jade objects have been unearthed in tombs and dated to the New Stone Age, which is around the time jade was first known to have been used to craft objects. This suggests that the Chinese reverence for the material has existed since its earliest appearance within civilization. One funerary object I have been fortunate enough to examine is a small jade cylinder attributed to the Liangzhu Culture of the Neolithic period, making the piece several thousand years old. Here in the Han Dynasty, jade is prevalent in many aspects of society, and items such as jade dragons have become much more common.
The use of jade in burial clothing has roots much further back than the current fashions of the Han Dynasty. Many locals claim this practice has existed since the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, which preceded the Qin Dynasty — the precursor to the Han. Jade-studded facial covers and jade-studded clothing were crafted during that earlier period. In the Han Dynasty, jade burial suits are commonly prepared for emperors and empresses, as well as certain members of the nobility. The suits prepared for emperors and empresses are woven with gold thread. Those prepared for first-generation nobility, such as princes, are woven with silver thread. Suits for other nobility — perhaps the son of a prince — are woven with copper thread. For subordinate ranks, silk thread is used. Ordinary officials and commoners are forbidden from possessing jade burial clothing, as their social standing renders them ineligible for such an honor.
Today, the process has become quite time-consuming and requires significant skill along with a fairly rigid procedure. First, jade materials are gathered from distant parts of the land and transported to the suit's creator, who then fashions, polishes, and drills the jade into thousands of hand-crafted pieces. The shape and size of each hole drilled within the jade pieces undergo detailed inspection. Along with the thousands of jade pieces, a substantial amount of gold, silver, or copper thread is fashioned and then used to sew the jade together into a full-body suit. This process can take several years in its entirety. The locals, despite being prevented from ever owning such a suit, still have a rather accurate sense of its cost. They claim it is roughly equal in value to the entire assets of one hundred or so middle-class families — comparable in value to about half a dozen present-day private jets. This is indeed a practice reserved for the most elite in society.
I am fortunate enough in my travels to have visited Japan during the final stage of the construction of the Hōryū-ji. The Hōryū-ji — meaning "Temple of the Flourishing Law of Buddhism" — is a complex built primarily to house the statue of the Medicine Buddha. The year is 607 CE, and I am in Ikaruga, south of present-day Kyoto. Approximately fifty years ago, a new philosophy and form of spiritual thought began to permeate the borders of this land: Buddhism. The well-regarded Prince Shōtoku has recently commissioned this building in hopes of spreading his Buddhist beliefs, and has dedicated the temple to Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of healing. Knowing that this complex will flourish into the oldest existing wooden structure in the present day, it is quite a treat to witness its completion.
The temple was first envisioned by Emperor Yōmei. Ill at the time, Yōmei desired a place for prayer and somewhere to house an image of the Buddha. Unfortunately, shortly after conceiving this idea, he died. On his deathbed, he asked Empress Suiko and Crown Prince Shōtoku to fulfill his wish and oversee the construction of the Hōryū Temple. Under Prince Shōtoku's guidance, this land has seen a considerable rise in its practicing Buddhists. The complex is currently an awe-inspiring structure, showcasing the superior woodworking skills of the Japanese. The building housing the statue of the Buddha is a large, beautifully crafted, and highly detailed edifice that seems to flow architecturally — much like the universal flow of life envisioned by these Buddhist followers.
Modern-day historians refer to this initial temple as Wakakusa-garan. Unfortunately, for reasons I cannot yet foresee, this remarkable structure will no longer exist within less than seven decades. Many historians I consulted prior to my time travels agreed that the building was burned down. Given the relative lack of animosity between Buddhists and followers of Shinto, it is difficult to imagine a violent backlash in the future, though it is never entirely out of the question when religious beliefs are involved. Currently, these two schools of thought share many similar aspects, and both sets of followers are rather peaceful in their practice and daily lives.
In modern-day Japan, the surviving structures on the complex grounds retain a great deal of value among Buddhists and architectural enthusiasts alike. Being the oldest existing wooden building in the world draws a large number of structural enthusiasts each year, and they can certainly testify to its exquisite craftsmanship. For Buddhists, this building is an extremely spiritual site, connecting them to the beginnings of their faith in Japan. The complex contains thousands of sacred and valued structures and artifacts, many of which have been designated as National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties in the present day.
"Multi-faith rock-cut caves completed in medieval India"
I am astounded by the degree of religious tolerance among the people of India. The site is spread out over two kilometers, dug into the side of a large basalt cliff. Of the 34 existing caves, 12 are devoted to Buddhism and were constructed between 500 and 750 CE; 17 are Hindu caves constructed between 600 and 870 CE; and the remaining 5 are Jain caves, begun approximately 200 years ago when religious allegiance shifted among the rulers. This side-by-side construction of religious sites provides a striking visual illustration of widespread religious acceptance in this vast land, and stands as a stunning representation of medieval Indian art as a whole.
I was given the opportunity to take a first-hand tour of the caves, beginning at the southernmost cave and working my way north. The first twelve caves I explored belonged to the Buddhists of the region and comprise eleven monasteries and one magnificent large temple. This temple, which the people claim was completed in the early 700s, will ultimately be dubbed "Carpenter's Cave" by future scholars — a name derived from the imitation in stone of wooden beams on the ceiling. At the far end of the cave, a superbly detailed stone carving of the Buddha sits enthroned before a large stone stupa. People travel from all corners of the region to worship before this unique specimen, and it will undoubtedly welcome countless Buddhists for millennia to come.
Beyond the Buddhist site lie 17 Hindu caves, occupying the center of the complex. The walls of these caves offer stark contrast to those of the Buddhist section: they are covered in epic bas-reliefs depicting events from Hindu scripture, and all the caves are devoted to the Hindu lord Shiva. Upon visiting the 16th cave in my tour, I was struck by its sheer ingenuity. Though technically not a cave, it is in fact an enormous temple carved directly into the cliff face. It resembles many of the temples that populate the region and represents Mount Kailash, home to the venerable Lord Shiva. A thick coat of white plaster covers the temple, giving it the appearance of a snow-capped mountain. While the names of many contributors remain lost to history, the locals claim that Rashtrakuta King Krishna I was responsible for its inception in the mid-700s.
The final leg of my journey consisted of a visit to the Jain caves. These are the most recently constructed, and although not the largest, they are by far the most detailed. The artwork within represents the distinct nature of the Jain tradition, combining firm ascetic sensibilities with elaborate decoration. Numerous detailed paintings cover the ceilings, the most remarkable of which is a fine lotus flower on the ceiling of the 32nd cave I visited. This cave is a miniature of the Kailash Temple, and the upper floor features the lotus flower amid a myriad of intricate carvings.
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