File:Vairocana, Southern Cliff Niche 103.png

English: Vairocana statue at Southern Cliff Buddhist Caves in Bazhong, Sichuan; 9th century. "The huge Buddha of Niche 103, a seated image (4.45 meters high) portrayed in the bhūmisparśa mudrā, is called Vairocana, but has none of the attributes which justify such an identification. Two much smaller, caricature-like Vajirapāṇi guard him at the entrance. In spite of the fact that his facial features are very distorted by recent layers of paint, one can still recognize the relationship of this image with the 'Jewelled Buddha' type represented at the southern and northern Leigutai Caves, Longmen [section 'Wan-fo-dung']. I have previously pointed out the presence of this iconography at the fr:Thousand Buddhas Cliff, Guangyüan and discussed it. Its recurrence at Bazhong shows that the icon was spreading South. This Buddha type is easily recognizable by its excessively inflated chest and the resulting disproportion of upper and lower body; the tall, ponderous crown; the heavy jewelry adorning the bare torso (a collar-like necklace) and the right upper arm (in the form of a foliate armlet)." – Howard, Angela Falco (1988). "Tang Buddhist Sculpture of Sichuan: Unknown and Forgotten" in Bulletin of the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm (No. 60).