Mogao Cave 17: Eleven-Headed, Eight-Armed Avalokitesvara

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Five Dynasties

Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva stands on a lotus pedestal. The eleven heads are arranged in three tiers; the white central head is flanked by two dark faces; the middle row contains five similar heads; and in the top row, there is a yellow Buddha’s head in the center. The Bodhisattva wears a golden necklace, a string ornament, armlets, and bracelets. A blue stole is draped around the arms, the lower body is covered with a patterned dhoti, and a nimbus surrounds the heads. Two raised hands grasp thin tendrils of clouds that support a red sun disc with a bird in the center and a white moon disc containing a jade rabbit beneath a tree. The two hands in front of the chest grasp lotus stems. The other four hands hold a willow branch, a vase, or prayer beads.
Beside the central figure, there are six scenes of devotees encountering various dangers and escaping harm by reciting the name of Avalokitesvara. Captions within cartouches explain the scenes. Below Avalokitesvara’s lotus throne, an incense burner and vases rest on an altar. The Recorders of Good and Evil, each depicted with two topknots and an orange robe, stand beside the altar holding scrolls. In the lower register, an inscription in the center is flanked by three male figures wearing black robes and three female figures with headdresses. The male donors on the left are led by monk Falu, as identified by the inscription. The figure on the far left is Wu Wuchang, a senior government official. The three female figures represent a mother and her two younger daughters.