Mogao Cave 17: Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Northern Song dynasty

A thin red line divides the painting into two distinct sections. In the upper register, Avalokitesvara sits on a lotus throne, holding a flaming jewel in the left hand and forming the vitarka (teaching) mudra with the right. The Bodhisattva has a square face, long ears, and pale skin. The body is adorned with ornaments. A stole is draped around the neck and over the arms. The nimbus and the aureole are composed of colorful rings accented with flame patterns. In the upper corners, two child apsaras kneeling on clouds appear to move through the air. The Recorders of Good and Evil, each holding a large scroll, stand beside Avalokitesvara. A long inscription in the center of the lower register dates the picture to 983. Images of the family that sponsored the painting flank the inscription, arranged in two rows according to their age and status.