Kneeling Attendant Bodhisattva (from Mogao Cave 328, Dunhuang, Gansu province)

This clay bodhisattva was one of eight attendant figures — six bodhisattvas and two disciples — surrounding a central sculpture of a seated, preaching Shakyamuni Buddha in an early Tang dynasty cave in the Mogao complex at Dunhuang. With his companions, this figure, captured in a pose of quiet reverence, would have served to direct the worshipper’s attention to the exalted Buddha at center. Unlike the figures from Tianlongshan on display in the first-floor Buddhist gallery, this sculpture was not carved into the stone walls of a cave; rather, it was formed by applying clay mixed with fibers and straw to a wooden armature and allowing it to harden naturally. Damage to the ends of the ribbon-like scarf dangling from the bodhisattva’s arms reveals the cores of bamboo twigs around which the clay mixture was packed. A thin layer of white was used to unify and brighten the clay surface, and select areas were embellished with polychromy and gilding.