The Source and Establishment of the Image Style of Jiyue People in Longmen Grottoes during the Tang Dynasty

As a special kind of Buddhist Jiyue theme, the images of Jiyue people (伎樂人) in the Longmen Grottoes during the Tang Dynasty are mainly composed of maiko (舞伎), musicians (樂伎) and geisha (歌伎) who show secular life. Influenced by the art of the Indian grottoes, the original images of Jiyue people were mostly in standing postures and were arranged in the stories of Buddha’s life (佛本生) and Buddha’s biography (佛傳故事), appearing as an integral part of expressing and conveying Buddhist scriptures with the function of setting off the main plot. In the Northern Dynasties, as a new form, the image of the wall-based Jiyue people (壁基伎樂人) was separated from the Buddhist story and gradually turned to secularization, mainly sitting, but only in the images of musicians. On the basis of inheriting the wall-based musicians of the Northern Dynasties, the new maiko and geisha appeared in the Longmen Grottoes. This new form, on the one hand, was deeply influenced by the Tang Dynasty palace music and dance culture, and it formed a mode of band composed of maiko, musicians, and geisha. On the other hand, the richness of the temple music and dance scenes and the temple musicians (寺屬音聲人) also had a greater or lesser impact on the images of the Jiyue people.