Hongfo Pagoda: Heavenly Dancer

CHINA, Ningxia, Yinchuan; Western Xia period

This wood carving was discovered in 1990.
The heavenly king wears a crown and has long eyebrows, big eyes, a high bridged nose, and a tiny mouth. The face of the heavenly dancer turns to the right and looks down. The upper body is bare and the lower body is covered in a dhoti. The right arm is curved and turns to the left with the palm turned up. The left hand is raised to the top of the head with the palm turning backward. The right foot is crossed and the left knee is bent slightly. The heavenly dancer stands in tribhanga posture with the left foot on a lotus pedestal. A stole floats and encircles the dancing figure. The original figure was colored and gilded, but the wood is now plain.