Kumtura Cave 50

CHINA, Xinjiang, Aksu

Cave 50 is situated in the north area, just north of Cave 49, and faces the west. This central pillar cave is from the Anxi Protectorate period (7th–8th century). It has a main chamber, three corridors, and barrel- vaulted ceilings. The main chamber is rectangular and measures 3.1 m wide, 3.23 m high, and 4.36 m deep.
Numerous images representing karma stories are housed within the main chamber. Each story is painted in squares on the side walls and the slopes of the ceiling with 13 rows and 16 to 17 columns on each side. A platform and various niches, now bereft of statues, are found within the rear corridor. The walls are covered with more illustrations from the karma stories, some of which contain inscriptions written in Kuchean. In total, the cave has almost 1,000 separate illustrations depicting different stories. The colors used are primarily gray, green, and red. The backgrounds are mostly green or white, and the Buddhas’ robes are in red. Some of the colors have darkened over time due to oxidation.