Bingling Temple Cave 3: Four-Headed Bodhisattva

CHINA, Gansu, Linxia; Ming dynasty

This mural is located on the lower section of the south wall. The Bodhisattva has four heads and eight arms, and sits in full lotus position upon a platform, backed by a nimbus and an aureole. The central face is green while the other three are beige, and each head wears a crown. The figure wears numerous ornaments on the ears, neck, arms, and ankles. The upper body is covered by a green stole, while the lower body is clothed in a short green and red dhoti. A white sash is tied at the waist and hangs down to each side. The principal hands hold a vajra and a lotus, while the other left hands hold a bow or a hook, and the right hands hold a shell, an arrow, or a rope.