Mogao Cave 17: Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Five Dynasties

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva holds a wish-fulfilling jewel and stands on a lotus pedestal beneath a canopy. The solemn Bodhisattva has an urna between the eyebrows. There is faint blue stubble on the bare head and the chin.
A red patched monastic robe with blue trim is worn over a green inner robe. The stole draped over the left shoulder is delicately colored with a yellow and green wash. A canopy of clouds, hanging tassels and flaming jewels hangs above the Bodhisattva. The flowers at the top of the picture were possibly added at a later date. A diamond-patterned ribbon decorated with floral patterns runs along the bottom of the picture, a common feature of 10th century Dunhuang paintings during the military rule of the Cao family between 914 and 1036.