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Gaochang: Head of a Bodhisattva
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Gaochang: Head of a Bodhisattva
CHINA, Xinjiang, Turpan; Five Dynasties to Northern Song dynasty (907-1127); Ink and color on silk; 34.5 x 27.5 cm; Museum of Asian Art, Berlin, Germany
This image, thought to have been part of a banner, was discovered in Gaochang, a historic Buddhist site in Xinjiang. Painted during the 10th or 11th century, it shows a Bodhisattva with a round face and an urna between the eyebrows. Fine ink lines are used to depict the intense, focused facial expression. The Bodhisattva wears a tall headdress decorated with flaming jewels and flowers. A ribbon hangs down the back, and the black hair curls across the shoulders. The nimbus and the aureole are painted with rings of color. Though most of the body of the Bodhisattva is missing, a colorful robe and a necklace can still be seen. |
