Mogao Cave 103: Illustration of the Lotus Sutra - Bodhisattvas and Disciples

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Tang dynasty

Part of the large Lotus Sutra mural painted on the south wall during the High Tang period (712–756), these figures sit to the left of the Buddha as he teaches the Dharma at Vulture Peak, a scene from the “Introductory Chapter” of the sutra. The seated Bodhisattva wears a headdress and has a round face with long, crescent-shaped eyebrows and a gentle smile. Jewelry and stoles adorn the upper body. The figure has broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and is seated in half lotus position on a lotus throne. Both of the hands form mudras. There is a canopy decorated with flaming jewels above the Bodhisattva. Another Bodhisattva and a disciple stand on the right. The standing Bodhisattva holds a vase, and the disciple forms mudra at the chest. On the left, a kneeling Bodhisattva offers a plate of precious gems.