A Technical Study of Kneeling Attendant Bodhisattva from the Mogao Caves, Dunhuang
Construction Materials and Techniques of the Polychromed Air-dried Clay Sculpture
Abstract
This study of a Kneeling Attendant Bodhisattva, a Tang-dynasty polychromed, air-dried clay sculpture from the Mogao Caves, Dunhuang, China, characterizes its materials and construction. Removed by Langdon Warner in 1924 for Harvard University’s Fogg Art Museum, it remains the only sculpture from the site outside of China. The sculpture has been minimally restored. Examination, imaging, and instrumental analyses reveal that the sculpture was made in situ with traditional techniques of Dunhuang: a bound wooden framework is layered with clay mixtures and decorated with applied details, paint, and gilding. Copper inlays were discovered in the eyes.
open access | peer reviewed
Submitted: Aug. 13, 2026 | Published Forthcoming | Language: en
Keywords Air-dried • Langdon Warner • Dunhuang • Mogao • Polychromy • Sculpture • X-radiography • Terra cruda • Mogaoku • XRF • Fibers • SEM-EDS • Clay
Copyright © 2026 Angela Chang, Katherine Eremin, Georgina Rayner, Isabel McWilliams. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/979-12-5742-112-0/004