Mogao Cave 237: Water-Moon Avalokitesvara

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Western Xia period

This image is located to the left of the doorway on the back (west) wall of the antechamber. Seated upon a rock above the water, Avalokitesvara tilts the head slightly to one side and gazes downwards serenely. The Bodhisattva has long hair that falls over the shoulders, and wears a white headdress, bracelets, and a stole draped over the left shoulder. The hands are wrapped around the raised left knee, and the right foot rests upon a lily pad below the rocky throne. There is a vase on the rocks to the right of the Bodhisattva. A large, round mandorla resembling the full moon frames the figure. Plants and rocks are painted beside the mandorla. Dark, subdued colors create a calm and peaceful atmosphere while allowing the white Bodhisattva to stand out.