Mogao Cave 130: Lady Wang as Donor

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Tang dynasty

Located on the south wall of the corridor, this painting has a cartouche which reads: “Wholehearted offerings of Lady Wang of Taiyuan, the governor’s wife.” A canopy decorated with flaming jewels hangs above Lady Wang. Her hair is pulled high into a bun and is adorned with jeweled hairpins. The lady has a mellow countenance and wears a red brocade skirt. A shawl is draped over her shoulders, and her hands are gathered in her sleeves. Behind Lady Wang are two of her daughters, identified by inscriptions as the “Eleventh Lady” and “Thirteenth Lady.” The former has hair combed back in a high topknot, wears a long green skirt, and holds flowers in her hands. The latter wears a headdress and a long yellow skirt, her hands gathered in her sleeves like her mother. Behind them stand nine servant girls who wear robes of varied colors, including blue, red, yellow, and green, and carry flowers, teapots, dressing cases, and paper fans.
Flowers on long stalks and butterflies can be seen in the background. The painting is a rare gem, being one of the most complete portraits of courtly women from the High Tang period (712–756). It was repainted during the Song dynasty (960–1279), and the upper portion was later damaged. It suffered further damage when the covering layers were stripped off in the 1940s. Today, the original has been replaced by an imitation made in 1950 by Duan Wenjie. On the opposite wall of the corridor is a portrait of Lady Wang’s husband, Le Tinghuan, who held numerous offices in Jinchang (present day Guazhou) during the High Tang period.