Mogao Cave 17: Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and the Ten Kings of Hell

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Northern Song dynasty

Ksititgarbha Bodhisattva wears a colorful necklace and a black headscarf covered with diamond-shaped gold patterns. Similar patterns adorn the trim of the blue monastic robe. A wish-fulfilling jewel is cradled in the left hand, and a staff is held in the right. The Bodhisattva sits relaxed on a red rug placed upon a rock. One foot rests on a blue lotus pedestal.
Four judges in black hats stand behind an altar in the lower register, and a lion crouches in front. The Ten Kings of Hell are carefully arranged along the sides of the painting. King Zhuanlun, located in the upper left corner, is dressed in armor. In the upper right corner, King Yama is shown wearing a black robe and a decorative headdress. The inscription states that the painting was commissioned by Fu, a female devotee.