Mogao Cave 156

Mogao Cave 156 was constructed during Late Tang period (848-907 AD). This cave, constructed in honor of Zhang Yichao, consists of a front chamber and a main chamber with a truncated pyramidal ceiling. The ceiling of the tent-like square niche in the west wall is covered with images and mandalas of Esoteric Buddhism. An ink inscription of the Record of the Mogao Grottoes dated the Xiantong 6th year (865) on north wall in front chamber is completely invisible now. However, an earlier copy of the inscription offers a valuable material about the construction history of the Mogao Grottoes. This cave contains 14 sutra illustrators on four walls and the ceilings in both chambers. The lower spaces on the south, north and east walls in the main chamber are outing scenes of Zhang Yichao and his wife Lady Song, which are 8. 2 meters long and 1. 05 meters wide. There are 114 figures in the outing scene of Zhang Yichao. In front of (he army is the military music and dancing scene followed by rows of horsemen holding five square banners, Liu Dao*, Gate Banners, pennants, lances and whips, as well as a row of officers on foot. Behind them are images of Zhang Yichao in round-collared red robe with a bat-styled headdress* and his army. The hunting and transportation scenes are painted on the east wall. The outing scene of Lady Song is painted in similar composition, which consists of 140 figures in similar compositions. The acrobatic scene represents a figure carries a long pod upstanding on his head with four other figures playing on the top of the pod. Beside are celestial orchestra and dancing figures followed by men-drawn carriage and messengers *. Behind the carriage is the image of Lady Song high on horseback.