Dunhuang's Art
Dunhuang art consists of three major forms: painting, sculpture and architecture. The inner space of a cave frequently imitates the interior design of residential or religious buildings. However, the shape of a cave must have been designed according to the function of the cave. Most Dunhuang caves were used as places for religious practice and political expression. Patrons of the caves demonstrated their social status, economic power, religious feeling, and political ideology by determining the size of a cave and by choosing certain motifs to be depicted in the cave. Therefore, we must be aware that religious themes represented in the Dunhuang caves may consist varied meanings, including social, political and personal ideas.
Buddhist Icons
Buddhist icons are the main theme represented in the Dunhuang caves. These icons include 5 basic categories: the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Arhans (Buddha's disciples), Heavenly Kings, and Protective Warriors. They are often sculpted in large scale and placed in the western niches of the caves as holy icons for worship. They are also painted on the walls as part of the entire design of the murals.
A special type of icons, the "Auspicious Icons," should also be included in this section. The "Auspicious Icons" represent existing "images" of the Buddhas or Bodhisattvas. Unlike most Buddhist sutras and images of the Buddha, these "Auspicious Images" did not necessarily originate in India. Most of them were created and used by local Buddhist communities in various regions. These images, therefore, represent the ideas and tastes of local people and imply strong contemporary socio-political meanings in the regional/ historical contexts.
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