Kizil Cave 17: King Sudolagarne Jataka
Kizil Cave 17: King Sudolagarne Jataka
CHINA, Xinjiang, Aksu
This painting is located on the right side of the barrel-vaulted ceiling within the main chamber. According to the “Chapter on King Sudolagarne” in the Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish, during the reign of King Sudolagarne there was a drought in his kingdom. The citizens were starving due to the shortage of food, so the king vowed to become a big fish that could feed his citizens. He then jumped from a tall tree and died. As he wished, the king was reborn as a big fish that saved the citizens from hunger.
The painting depicts the large fish lying next to a pond. Two starving citizens stand over it. One person lifts an ax to chop the fish, while the other kneels on top of it, slicing flesh with a knife. The artist used layers of colors to emphasize the figures’ musculature. Due to changes in color through the ages, both appear as if they were shadow puppets.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Caves R-L, page 486.
Cite this article:
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Johnson, Peter and Mankuang and Huntington, Susan and Edson, Gary and Neather, Robert,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Caves R-L},
pages = 486,
title = {{Kizil Cave 17: King Sudolagarne Jataka}},
volume = 6,
year = {2016}}