The Guardian king of the West, portrayed on a banner found in Cave 17 at Dunhuang. His armour, leg-coverings and shoes, and the decorative treatment of the sashes can be compared to Uighur paintings from Bezeklik near Turfan. His loosely brushed back hair falls freely on the shoulders; another detail not usual in Dunhuang paintings. These features suggest a Uighur patronage and a tenth-century date.
Ink and colours on silk
The British Museum,
1919,0101,0.108