In the aniconic period, the Buddha was represented with a wheel, an elephant, a lotus, etc. The lack of Buddhist anthropomorphic representations was common in the earliest Buddhist period. With the establishment of Greek colonies in Central Asia and specifically in Gandhara, the Hellenistic style was absorbed and adapted to create iconic Buddhist images that eventually reached China. Discuss how foreign elements contributed to the creation of Buddhist art in China since the first millennium CE.

In the aniconic period, the Buddha was represented with a wheel, an elephant, a lotus, etc. The lack of Buddhist anthropomorphic representations was common in the earliest Buddhist period. With the establishment of Greek colonies in Central Asia and specifically in Gandhara, the Hellenistic style was absorbed and adapted to create iconic Buddhist images that eventually reached China. Discuss how foreign elements contributed to the creation of Buddhist art in China since the first millennium CE.