Mogao Cave 417: Illustration of the Golden Light Sutra - Chapter on Jalavahana

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Sui dynasty

This narrative illustration is located on the west slope of the ceiling. The story tells of an elder who rescues a school of fish trapped in a drying pond. The story starts from the left side. When the elder and his sons happen upon the pond, they see animals on the shoreline waiting to eat the fish. In order to help the fish, the elder procures the use of one of the king’s elephants to carry water to the pond, and he also brings food for the fish. On the right side, two fish who are reborn as heavenly beings offer pearls to the elder. Above them, standing between two trees, the elder’s sons bow and confer with their father. On the right, three people shown in front of a house are the two sons requesting the elephant from the king. The scenes are balanced, though not sequential. The painting is simple and the figures are small, but their actions convey the key events of the story.