Mogao Cave 231: Donors

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Tang dynasty

These figures are painted above the entrance on the front (east) wall of the main chamber. In the center of the image is a pillar inscribed with a dedication to the deceased parents of the cave’s benefactor, Yin Jiazheng of Dunhuang. The inscription explains that his father, Yin Bolun, was a general of guerrilla warefare during the Tang dynasty (618–907), while his mother, surnamed Suo, was the granddaughter of a marshal.
The two groups of figures are roughly symmetrical. On the left, the female devotee has hair tied in a high topknot and secured with a decorative hairpin. She kneels on a square carpet and holds an incense burner. Her dress has wide sleeves, and there is a shawl draped over her shoulders. On the far left, another female figure wearing a red robe with a floral design and a round collar holds a tray of offerings. The faces of both female figures have darkened from oxidation. On the right, the faces of the male devotees, in contrast, have almost completely faded. The first figure, kneeling and holding an incense burner, wears a long red robe with a plaque hanging from the belt at his waist. Behind him, a smaller male figure wearing a dark, round-collared robe holds a tray of offerings.