Hongfo Pagoda: Warrior

CHINA, Ningxia, Yinchuan; Western Xia period

This painting was discovered in Hongfo Pagoda in 1990. The warrior has blue skin and a robust physique. His lips are tightly closed, and his fierce eyes stare intently to the right. A smaller second head with a fierce expression is depicted above his headdress. The warrior wears a red cape tied around the neck, a blue stole draped over his shoulder and tied to his waist, and a dhoti. Golden earrings, bracelets, and anklets adorn the body. He holds a spear in his right hand, while the left hand appears to hold a blue vase or a model of a pagoda. The painting is colored in red, blue, and yellow against a gray background. A faintly visible cartouche in the upper right corner is inscribed with four Chinese characters.