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Mandorla Relief
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Mandorla Relief
CHINA; Yuan dynasty (1271–1368); Clay; H: 130 cm; State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
Made of clay and coated with colored paints, this detached mandorla contains some of the Six Dharma Symbolic Features. The garuda is visible at the very top while a pair of makaras are just below, perched on a Sumeru base and flicking their triple-forked tongues. Further below are some goats and white elephants interspersed among the foliage. Cloud patterns surround the outer rim and there are lotuses around the inner section. The design and presentation of the Six Dharma Symbolic Features seen here became more popular after the Ming dyansty (1368–1644). According to scholarly research, the size and traces of excision fit the damaged portraits on the west wall of Mogao Cave 77. |
