Mogao Cave 17: Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Tang dynasty

Avalokitesvara has a faint mustache, thin eyebrows, and long black hair that hangs down beside the arms. The Bodhisattva stands in tribhanga posture, wearing jewelry and a headdress topped with a Buddha image. The right hand holds an elegantly curved willow branch, and the left hand carries a vase containing a long-stemmed lotus with multiple pairs of leaves. A stole, originally purple with a green lining, hangs naturally over the shoulders and the right arm.
Though the lower register is damaged, two female donors offering lotus flowers are partially visible in the far right corner. Their simple hairstyles suggest that the picture was painted during the first half of the 9th century.