Mogao Cave 423: Prince Sudana Jataka

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Sui dynasty

This narrative illustration is on the east slope of the gabled ceiling. The scenes within it are separated by mountains of variegated colors. In the upper register, Prince Sudana is banished from the kingdom after giving away the kingdom’s magical elephant. On the left side of the lower register is a scene of the prince giving away his chariot and horse as he travels into the mountains, and on the right side, he is shown giving up his children. The story finishes with a scene of the family reuniting in their homeland.
The fortified walls of the city surround scenes of people carrying out various activities. The scenes are composed from an aerial perspective, and the characters are small and simply outlined to highlight their actions. The main colors in the mural are green, blue, red, brown, and white.