Mogao Cave 17: Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Five Dynasties

This painting from Mogao Cave 17 was produced in the early 10th century. Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva stands on lotus pedestals and turns slightly to one side. The Bodhisattva has an urna between arched eyebrows and wears a headdress topped with a Buddha image. Three lines are visible on the neck. A beaded ornament hangs in front of the chest, and stoles are draped over the arms. The dhoti falls in elegant folds around the feet. The left hand forms a mudra and the right hand carries a vase containing a single lotus flower. A canopy is partially visible behind the nimbus.
In the upper left corner, there is an inscription with six Chinese characters which should have read “na mo guan yin pu sa” (Homage to Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva). However the first two characters have been reversely written and a correction is made with a tick symbol. The painting is predominantly colored in red and green. The soft, opaque appearance of the garments was created using the wash technique.