Mogao Cave 17: Thousand-Armed, Thousand-Eyed Avalokitesvara

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Northern Song dynasty

This painting from Mogao Cave 17 depicts Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva sitting on a lotus throne, wearing a headdress with a Buddha image in the center, thick ornaments, stoles, and a dhoti. There is a third eye painted between the arched eyebrows. One pair of hands joins palms in front of the chest, while another below forms the dhyana (meditation) mudra and cradles an alms bowl. The remaining hands, each with an eye in the middle of the palm, are arranged in a circle around the Bodhisattva, forming mudras or holding Dharma instruments. A canopy hangs at the top of the picture, flanked by two young attendants who offer flowers.
An incense burner and vases are placed on an altar below the lotus throne. The cloth draped over the altar is decorated with two golden birds. Two Bodhisattvas kneel on lotus thrones beside the altar, each holding a tray of flowers. Two more Bodhisattvas sit beside the central figure. The four sponsors of the painting are depicted in the lower register, flanking the long inscription in the center.