Mogao Cave 272: Apsaras

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Northern Liang Kingdom

These images line the four slopes of the ceiling. The flying apsaras are painted on a background of ocher red. Their faces and limbs were originally given a three-dimensional appearance with the wash technique, but have darkened over time, leaving only heavy, thick lines. The apsaras have circular nimbuses and wear long lower garments of various colors. Stoles are looped through their arms and fly around them dramatically. Their bare upper torsos reveal slender bodies with prominent abdomens. Some apsaras hold objects in their hands, while others lightly grasp their stoles or form mudras. They are depicted uniformly in graceful, curving flying positions.