Mogao Cave 257: Ruru Jataka

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Northern Wei dynasty

This illustration of the Ruru Jataka is painted in the center of the back (west) wall. It is the only depiction of this story within the Mogao Caves. The layout is in the style of a horizontal scroll painting. The narrative begins from both ends and culminates at the center. On the left side, a deer saves a man from drowning, and the man kneels before the deer to express his gratitude. On the right side, a queen in Central Asian dress sits within a palace. She tells the king about her dream of a magnificently-colored deer and asks that he find the deer so she may have the skin. Outside the palace, the man who nearly drowned discloses the deer’s whereabouts after learning of the reward for its capture, and the king rides out to find the deer. In the center of the painting, the deer speaks with the king, who is impressed by the deer’s wisdom and compassion, and spares its life.
The landscapes and palace are two-dimensional and have a strong decorative function. The figures in the painting are plainly depicted. The image of the deer is simple yet full of spirit, painted mostly in profile with multi-colored speckles. The people are likewise rendered simply, the men bare-chested and adorned with long stoles that fly about them dramatically.