"Dunhuang Revisited: Mogao Buddhist Caves (4th-14th Centuries)" is the topic of the next lecture at Siam Society, Asok Road, on Saturday at 10.30am.
It will be conducted by Eileen Deeley who has been visiting the Mogao Caves since the 1980s and is a passionate student of Dunhuang art.
Known as "Caves of the Thousand Buddhas", Mogao Caves near the town of Dunhuang in the west of China's Gansu province form what is arguably the world's most extraordinary gallery of Buddhist art.
Hewn from the living rock of the 1,600m Mingsha Mountains, their magnificent mural paintings and stucco sculptures were not collected from distant sources but created in situ over a continuous period of nearly a thousand years, from the 4th to the 14th centuries.
Hidden from view for centuries, an accidental discovery at the beginning of the 20th century unveiled the Mogao Caves as the world's richest treasure-trove of Buddhist art reflecting influences from China, India, Central Asia and Persia.
Located on the Silk Road, Dunhuang became a major staging post for traders, missionary monks and pilgrims of Buddhism and other religions. It saw a growing Buddhist community by the 4th century and also the first cave carved by a Buddhist monk high up the Mingsha cliff face. In the ensuing centuries, almost a thousand caves were carved, sponsored by "barbarian" potentates and local rulers as well as community devotees.
The geographical position has contributed to the degradation of the caves -- winds and sand blown directly in, eroding the walls and paintings. Today, 492 caves have survived, housing over 2,000 statues and 45,000m² of mural paintings.
Following her recent Gansu study trip, Deeley will discuss the historical significance of Dunhuang's role on the Silk Road, and in particular, a selection of the most outstanding Mogao Caves, their amazing architecture, magnificent mural paintings and superb sculptures.
The fee is 300 baht (free for members and students).
Email pinthip@thesiamsociety.org or call 02-661-6470--3 ext 203.
