Mogao Cave 17: Bodhisattva as a Guide

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Five Dynasties

According to an inscription in the upper left corner, this 10th century painting was commissioned by the female devotee, Kang, in memory of her deceased husband Xue Quan. The Bodhisattva stands on lotus pedestals, guiding a deceased man in a white robe. Wearing a floral headdress and a long dhoti, the Bodhisattva holds a banner pole in the right hand and an incense burner in the left. The head is surrounded by a green nimbus. A fluttering stole is draped across the shoulders and around the arms. A young woman holding a three-tier canopy stands on the left. The deceased man following behind the Bodhisattva appears to be a government official. He wears a black hat and stands on clouds with his palms joined in reverence. The musical instruments and heavenly palaces in the upper register represent the Pure Land.