Mogao Cave 112: Illustration of the Returning Favors Sutra - Music and Dance

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Tang dynasty

This detail is in the lower register of the illustration of the Returning Favors Sutra on the north wall of Cave 112. Below the central Buddha are eight musicians and a dancer on a platform. The dancer, in the center, is barefoot and wears a headdress and a feathered garment. The figure leans to the side, balancing on one leg with hands crossed above the head. A stole flows around the figure, carried by the dance.
The musicians, seated to either side of the dancer, face one another and wear dhotis, headdresses, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. They are equipped with wind, string, and percussion instruments. Those on the right playing a drum, flute, and clappers, while those on the left play a reed instrument, zither, lute, and clappers.