Mogao Cave 17: Buddha Triad

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Five Dynasties to Northern Song dynasty

The Buddha sits above an altar in the center of the picture. Dressed in a red monastic robe, he has large eyes, a usnisa, and an urna. A canopy is faintly visible above the nimbus. There appears to be a small, petal-shaped nimbus around the usnisa. The patterns on the aureole have faded. An incense burner and a vase rest on the altar below the Buddha. Two Bodhisattvas stand on red lotus pedestals beside the central figure. Wearing headdresses and ornaments, they join their palms in reverence. An empty cartouche in the middle of the lower register is flanked by figures making offerings. The woman on the left has her hair in a topknot decorated with hairpins. A young girl dressed in red stands behind her. The male figure wears official’s robes and a black hat, and is accompanied by an attendant. Many of the silk paintings found in Mogao Cave 17 feature images of the sponsors of the artwork making offerings, accompanied by cartouches that either contain dedicatory prayers or remain empty.