Kizil Cave 17: Hasti Jataka
Kizil Cave 17: Hasti Jataka
CHINA, Xinjiang, Aksu
Located on the left side of the barrel-vaulted ceiling in the main chamber, this painting is based on the Hasti Jataka. In the story, a group of exiles were about to die of starvation in the desert. A white elephant, feeling sorry for the exiles, told them of a dead elephant by the lake that they could eat to alleviate their hunger. The exiles followed the white elephant’s direction and found the dead animal. They then realized that the white elephant had sacrificed itself to save them.
In the painting, a white elephant lies on its back. Its left front leg is raised while its trunk lies on the ground. A somber man who wears a stole and a short lower garment looks down at the elephant’s body as he cuts open the belly with a knife.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Caves R-L, page 481.
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 = 481,
title = {{Kizil Cave 17: Hasti Jataka}},
volume = 6,
year = {2016}}