Mogao Cave 275

Mogao Cave 275 was constructed in Norther Liang Dynasty(420--439AD). It has a hall that is longer than it is wide and a tent-like ceiling with molded rafters on two slopes. A cross-legged Bodhisattva sculpture is against the west wall flanked by two lion sculptures, suggesting that the Bodhisattva is seated on a lion-throne. The Bodhisattva wears a crown with a small transformed Buddha image with upper body naked and lower body in dhoti*, and is decorated with armlets and necklaces. The folds of the dhoti are made in a style that can be seen in Gandharan sculptures during the 4-5th centuries. Images of the cross-legged Bodhisattvas with three-round-jewel crowns and with (or without) a water vase in hand in Northern Dynasties cave temples are usually considered to derive from Western Regions. Similarly, the triangular brocade backrest in relief behind the Bodhisattva, also seen in the Kizil Grottoes in Xinjiang and the Bamiyan Grottoes in Afghanistan, suggest early Western Region influences on construction of the cave temples.