Mogao Cave 17: Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Later Zhou dynasty

In this painting from Mogao Cave 17, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva sits on a lotus throne, wearing a bright gold headdress and ornaments. The nimbus and the aureole are decorated with rings of bright color. A floral canopy shelters the Bodhisattva, and a square base supports the white lotus throne. A pair of heavenly beings kneel beside Avalokitesvara, joining their palms in reverence. They appear to have just descended from the heavenly realm, as their stoles still float high in the air, forming a colorful trail. In the middle of the lower register, an inscription within a cartouche states that the painting was commissioned by Deng Yuan in 955 during the Zhou dynasty. Merit is dedicated to Deng’s deceased father and mother, whose images are painted in detail beside the cartouche. Deng appears as a tiny figure beside his father.