Mogao Cave 17: Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Northern Song dynasty

Ksitigarbha sits on a lotus throne in the upper register of the painting. The Bodhisattva wears a headscarf and a patched monastic robe. A pearl is held in the left hand and a staff is carried in the right. The two attendants kneeling with joined palms on both sides are identified by inscriptions within cartouches as the Samantamukha Bodhisattvas.
Six beams of light radiate from the aureole. Between the lines, there are images of the beings in the six realms of rebirth. On the right, a human being, an asura holding the sun and moon, and a hungry ghost engulfed in flames are shown. A Bodhisattva in the heavenly realm, animals, and a hell being holding a rake are on the left.
The cartouche in the middle of the lower register is flanked by two male and two female devotees making offerings. The long inscription within the cartouche dates the picture to 963. It goes on to state that the sponsor of the painting, Kang Qingnu, was suffering from chronic illness, and commissioned this artwork in prayer for recovery.