
Cave 108 was built by the 16th younger sister of Cao Yijin and her husband, Zhang Huaiqing. Portraits of the Cao family are painted on the lower registers of the north, south, and front (east) walls, including this image of a Uighur princess found on the right side of the front wall. The robes of the figure are reddish brown, and the cuffs and collar are ornately embroidered with phoenix images. The princess wears a pearl necklace and holds an incense burner with both hands. This mural illustrates the marital relationship between the Cao family and Uighur royalty during the Five Dynasties period (907–960).
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Caves M-Mo, page 938.