Materialized Wishes: Long Banner Paintings from the Mogao Caves of Dunhuang

Long banner paintings from Cave 17 of the Mogao Caves, dating back to the ninth and tenth centuries CE, serve as materialized forms of longevity and prosperity. These banners, characterized by their extraordinary length—up to forty-nine chi—and the depiction of multiple bodhisattvas on silk strips, were likely used by donors to fulfill wishes for good health, extended life, sin elimination, and rebirth in the Pure Land. The study examines the physical traits of these banners, including textiles, pigments, and configurations, alongside Buddhist and Daoist scriptures about longevity and repentance. By analyzing the relationship between the banners' materiality and their religious function, the research suggests that the lengthening of the silk strips symbolically extended the donor's lifespan, while the depiction of bodhisattvas amplified spiritual benefits.

Hwang, Y. (2022). Materialized Wishes: Long Banner Paintings from the Mogao Caves of Dunhuang. Religions, 14(1), 58. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14010058