Mogao Cave 321: Eleven-Headed Avalokitesvara and Attendants

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Tang dynasty

This image is located to the left of the entrance on the front (east) wall. Twin trees with colorful fan-shaped leaves frame the top of the image and a floral canopy hangs in the center. An Eleven-Headed Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva stands below; the heads of the Bodhisattva have faded over time. The main head wears a headdress with a Buddha image. Necklaces adorn the Bodhisattva’s chest, and a green shawl is draped over the left shoulder. The figure has six arms; the topmost left arm is raised with the thumb and index finger joined, the second is lowered and holds a vase, and the third is held palm up between the thighs. The topmost right arm is raised and held palm up, the second is held in the vitarka (teaching) mudra before the chest, and the third is lowered to the side of the body with the shawl draped around it. The figure is clothed in a long lower garment embellished with a floral pattern. A red cloth is fastened to the waist with a broad sash, and the Bodhisattva stands barefoot on a lotus pedestal. The flanking Bodhisattvas wear floral crowns, their hair is tied into topknots, and ornaments adorn their chests. They are clothed in long white garments, with colorful shawls draped across their upper torsos, and they stand barefoot on lotus pedestals. Colorful flowers blossom on stems amidst the Bodhisattvas.