Mogao Cave 231: Two-Headed Buddha in Gandhara

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Tang dynasty

Painted on the ceiling of the back (west) wall niche within the main chamber, the Buddha in Gandhara has two heads encircled by a nimbus filled with cloud patterns. A mesh canopy hangs overhead. The faces are similar, and look downward in opposite directions. The Buddha wears red and green robes. Two of the arms are joined in anjali (reverence) mudra, and the other two are held palm-out and downward on either side, with the index finger and thumb joined. The Buddha stands barefoot upon a lotus pedestal. Clean, well-defined lines are used to depict the figure, and the wash technique is used to add depth. The inscriptions beside the illustration reads, “the auspicious Two-Headed Buddha from the Kingdom of Gandhara, illustrated using funds donated by two devotees.” The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions and the Dunhuang manuscript Records of the Auspicious Signs of the Buddhas both describe this image and its origins.