Western Thousand Buddha Cave 7: Heavenly Beings and Thousand Buddhas

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Northern Wei dynasty

These murals are located on the west wall. The upper register depicts heavenly beings and the lower register is filled with yaksas, while the Thousand Buddhas are in the middle register.
In this depiction, the heavenly beings wear a lower garment with stoles wrapped around their bare upper torsos. Arches painted behind every other figure suggest a heavenly palace background. A line of cube shapes, painted with a three-dimensional effect, is depicted below the heavenly musicians. Below the cubes is a thin row of triangular and rectangular shapes. This pattern is inlaid with glass. The Thousand Buddha motif painted on the middle register features seated Buddhas painted in various color schemes on a red background.