Square fragment: showing Buddhist procession

early 6th century

Four male figures are depicted in this sculptural fragment, which agrees in style and scale with a missing section from the front, or south, wall of Cave 1 at Gongxian, Henan Province. If it is the lost fragment, these figures belonged to a larger group of fifteen or more men in a procession led by a Buddhist monk. The distinctive headgear and robes of the main figure (second from right) indicate that the scene depicts a wealthy patron, who is surrounded by attendants, one holding a fan and one raising a canopy.