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Mogao Cave 17: Medicine Buddha Triad
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Mogao Cave 17: Medicine Buddha Triad
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Mogao Cave 17: Medicine Buddha Triad
CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Five Dynasties (907–960); Ink and color on paper; 84 x 76.5 cm; British Museum, London, United Kingdom
In this painting, the Medicine Buddha sits on a lotus throne. The Buddha holds a medicine bowl in the left hand and a monk's staff in the right hand. A radiating nimbus and aureole surround the figure. The two attendant Bodhisattvas are identified by inscriptions as Vajragarbha and Cintamanicakra. This group differs from most other portrayals of the Medicine Buddha Triad which feature Suryaprabha and Candraprabha Bodhisattvas. Flowers bloom beside a canopy in the upper register.
The painting was formed by affixing six pieces of paper to a linen backing. The reverse side of the linen is elegantly decorated with 36 squares, each measuring 10.5 cm high by 9.5 cm wide, filled with blue, red, green, and purple flowers. |
