Yulin Cave 4: White Tara

CHINA, Gansu, Guazhou; Yuan dynasty

This mural is located on the left side of the south wall. Tara is described in the Tibetan text, Praise to the Twenty-One Taras, and is a popular theme in Tibetan Buddhist art. Tara is believed to be a manifestation of Avalokitesvara, who manifests as the protector of those in distress in order to eradicate all resentment, nightmares, worry, disasters, and bad karma. Tara has 21 forms, which are differentiated by color, the most common being the White Tara and the Green Tara.
The White Tara in this mural is seated in full lotus position with hands displaying a mudra. A headdress is worn over long, curled hair, and large round earrings. Necklaces, bracelets, armlets, and flower garlands decorate the body. A short black dhoti is tied at the waist with a blue sash. A pagoda is painted behind Tara, and a lotus throne rises from a black pond below the figure. Depicted within the pond are numerous small lotus flowers, stems, and leaves, as well as five larger lotus flowers that support seated Bodhisattvas. Though they are all seated in the same posture, the Bodhisattvas are differentiated by their mudras and their skin colors, which include green, blue, brown, and white.
The border around the mural is decorated with jagged peaks painted in blue, green, and brown. On each side there are three dancing Bodhisattvas. White clouds and flowers in a black sky are depicted at the top of the border. Finally, the Five Dhyani Buddhas are found at the very top of the mural, outside the border.