Mogao Cave 17: Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva
Ink and color on silk
Mogao Cave 17: Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva
CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Tang dynasty
This late 9th century painting depicts Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva standing with bare feet on a lotus pedestal. Blue coloring on the bare head and the chin represents stubble. A nimbus of two concentric rings surrounds the head.
The Bodhisattva wears a golden necklace and an armlet. The monastic robe is covered with a grid of squares filled with colorful clouds. An orange stole is draped over the left shoulder. The fingers of the right hand gently grasp the neck of a golden vase, and the left hand is held horizontal in front of the stomach.
A canopy hangs at the top of the picture. The cartouche on the top left is written with an inscription that reads “Homage to the Great Sage, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.”
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Painting I-O, page 612.
Cite this article:
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Youlu and Wilson, Graham and Manho and Mankuang and Huntington, Susan,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Painting I-O},
pages = 612,
title = {{Mogao Cave 17: Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva}},
volume = 15,
year = {2016}}