Kizil Cave 83: Queen who Renounced and was Reborn as a Heavenly Being

CHINA, Xinjiang, Aksu

This mural was originally located on the back wall of the main chamber. As recorded in the Samyukta Ratna Pitaka Sutra, one day, when a king was playing a harp while his queen danced, he had a revelation that her life would end in seven days. Deeply grieved, the king dropped his harp, and told the queen of his premonition. She then requested tonsure to become a nun. After her death, she was reborn as a heavenly being.
The king, seated on a throne, is depicted in the center of the mural. His left hand supports his chin as if deep in thought. A harp lies behind him, and to one side is the dancing queen. She is unclothed and wears numerous ornaments. Her left arm is raised and her right extends downward, holding a colorful stole. She tilts her head to the right with her body in a dancing posture. Two female servants are depicted behind the queen; one carries a whisk and the other wears a headscarf. A servant girl carrying a round plate is to the right of the queen, and to the left are two figures seated on the ground with arms raised, watching her dance. Two more figures, one male and one female, are undergoing tonsure on the far left.