Mogao Cave 17: Frontispiece of the Sutra on the Names of the Buddhas

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Five Dynasties to Song dynasty

This frontispiece decorated with a Buddha image was part of a copy of the Sutra on the Names of the Buddhas written on linen. On the left beside the frontispiece, part of the title of the sutra and a small section of the text is visible.
The Buddha has a high usnisa, an urna between the eyebrows, and three lines on the neck. Dressed in a red monastic robe, he sits in full lotus position on a lotus throne. The left hand forms the varada (wish-granting) mudra, while the right displays the abhaya (fearlessness) mudra. The nimbus and the aureole are washed with color. A parasol decorated with jewels and ribbons hangs at the top of the picture.