Kizil Cave 17: King Sibi Jataka
Kizil Cave 17: King Sibi Jataka
CHINA, Xinjiang, Aksu
This painting is also located on the left side of the barrel-vaulted ceiling in the main chamber and depicts a story from the Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish. The Jataka tells the story of the Buddha’s past life as King Sibi who fed a hawk his own flesh in order to save a dove.
In the painting, King Sibi and the queen sit on a rectangular throne. The king raises both hands to welcome the dove who came to request help. The hawk, close behind, chases after the dove. A person on the right side of the throne slices off the king’s flesh with a knife, offering it to the hawk in exchange for the dove’s life.
The chest, abdomen, hands, and legs of the figures are drawn using a wash technique, which is characteristic of Kuchean painting. After over 1,000 years of oxidation, the color has become darker and the surface rougher.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Caves R-L, page 484.
Cite this article:
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Johnson, Peter and Mankuang and Huntington, Susan and Edson, Gary and Neather, Robert,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Caves R-L},
pages = 484,
title = {{Kizil Cave 17: King Sibi Jataka}},
volume = 6,
year = {2016}}