弥勒造像源于印度,流自西域,而极盛于中土,成为中国佛教艺术的一个重要内容。弥勒菩萨从佛教诸神谱中独立出来,被单独造像膜拜,也是中国佛教艺术的一大特色。中国弥勒崇拜始于东晋。北朝佛教造像中,已风行弥勒交脚坐像,交脚坐式成为弥勒的特殊坐式。交脚弥勒菩萨既是北朝佛教艺术的一大表现题材,也是中国艺术史上造形艺术的一个重要形象。唐代,盛行为弥勒造大像。唐代的弥勒大像是继北朝交脚弥勒后在中国造形艺术 Maitreya statues from India, flowing from the Western Regions, and flourished in Turkey, becoming an important part of Chinese Buddhist art. Maitreya Buddhism gods separate from the gods, was a separate statue worship, but also a major feature of Chinese Buddhist art. Chinese Maitreya worship began in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Among the Buddhist statues of the Northern Dynasties, Maitreya has been sitting cross-legged and sitting cross-legged to become Maitreya’s special sitting style. Bodhisattva Maitreya is not only a major theme of the Buddhist art in the Northern Dynasties, but also an important image of the art of forming in the history of Chinese art. Tang Dynasty, Sheng Maitreya as a portrait. The Maitreya Elephant in the Tang Dynasty was the art of forming in China after the Northern Diposition of Maitreya