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Mogao Cave 17: Ucchusma
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Mogao Cave 17: Ucchusma
CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Tang dynasty (618–907); Ink and color on paper; 80.7 x 30.8 cm; British Museum, London, United Kingdom
This painting of Ucchusma is very similar to an image of Hayagriva that was also discovered in Mogao Cave 17. There was a bamboo pole on the upper edge and a wooden spindle at the bottom when Aurel Stein, the British explorer, acquired this painting, suggesting that it was meant for hanging. Both paintings were possibly the side panels for a larger artwork. Ucchusma wears a crown with a Buddha image centered above his three heads. Covered with ornaments and stoles, he stands on lotuses, holding a vajra in one of his four hands. A figure with an animal's head and a human body is depicted in the lower register. |
