Politically the sixth century was a complicated period. Two dynasties, the Liang (502–557) and the Chen (557–589) controlled the south. In the north, the powerful Northern Wei empire flourished briefly in a new capital, Luoyang, established in 494 in the center of China. By 534 internecine strife between the Xianbei at the court and their more traditional brethren posted in military centers led to the destruction of Luoyang and the division of the north into a western half ruled by the Western Wei (535–556) and the Northern Zhou (557–581) and an eastern half ruled by the Eastern Wei (534–550) and the Northern Qi (550–557).

The construction of the imperial temple Yongningsi (Eternal Peace), built in 516–17 by order of the Dowager Empress Ling, was one of the most important achievements of the early sixth century. Although the temple was destroyed by fire during the devastation of Luoyang, historical records indicate that the pagoda was one of the wonders of Buddhist Asia. It towered close to five hundred feet and was decorated with gold and semiprecious jewels.

These terracotta figures, both flat on one side, were found during excavation of the site between 1979 and 1994. They are thought to have been attached to the inner walls of the pagoda and may have been part of a retinue of worshipers and Buddhist deities. The traditional Chinese approach to form in the plastic arts, particularly in the representation of humans, concentrated on intimations of life and movement, with summary treatment of details, and emphasized a frontal view. These fully three-dimensional figures are thus a radical departure, a change perhaps attributable to the presence of large numbers of western craftsmen in Luoyang. The move of many such craftsmen to the Eastern Wei–Northern Qi realm helps to explain the strong western influence found in sculptures and ceramics there. Foreign influence, probably from maritime trade, is also found in South China, which preserved artistic traditions and techniques from the Han dynasty that were not in use in the north.