the form and significance of the portrait of the king’s donors in the grottoes of kucha-using the image of tiptoeing as a case study

The preserved 6-7th century portraits of royal supporters from the kucha caves in xinjiang show a “patterned” costume and appearance, especially the “standing on tiptoe” posture and the pictorial structure of multiple figures standing side by side, which have a strong connection with iranian and central asian art. the unique “standing on tiptoe” style of the kucha grottoes mural depicts a donor pattern that is neither found in the painting and sculpture of dunhuang or other regions of china, nor seen in gandhara reliefs, parthian art, or near eastern art of the parthian period. however, is frequently seen in painting and sculpture from iran to central asia between the 3rd and 7th centuries ad. the origin of the art of iran and central asia the forms of expression are related to the construction of royal identity, religious rituals, and the viewing habits and aesthetic concepts of the people of kucha. the small number of inscriptions preserved in the kucha caves on the donor’s figures indicate that these kucha kings were real people, and it is highly likely that the painters had met them. however, the way the feet of the figures are drawn is not realistic, but rather stylized, creating a perfect visual pattern that transcends ordinary reality, indicating that the painters were aiming to present all the kucha kings as an “idealized” manner. the pictorial pattern of “standing on tiptoe” posture influenced by iranian sasanian and central asian sogdian art is evident. 

the form and significance of the portrait of the king’s donors in the grottoes of kucha-using the image of tiptoeing as a case study

the preserved 6-7th century portraits of royal supporters from the kucha caves in xinjiang show a “patterned” costume and appearance, especially the “standing on tiptoe” posture and the pictorial structure of multiple figures standing side by side, which have a strong connection with iranian and central asian art. the unique “standing on tiptoe” style of the kucha grottoes mural depicts a donor pattern that is neither found in the painting and sculpture of dunhuang or other regions of china, nor seen in gandhara reliefs, parthian art, or near eastern art of the parthian period. however, is frequently seen in painting and sculpture from iran to central asia between the 3rd and 7th centuries ad. the origin of the art of iran and central asia the forms of expression are related to the construction of royal identity, religious rituals, and the viewing habits and aesthetic concepts of the people of kucha. the small number of inscriptions preserved in the kucha caves on the donor’s figures indicate that these kucha kings were real people, and it is highly likely that the painters had met them. however, the way the feet of the figures are drawn is not realistic, but rather stylized, creating a perfect visual pattern that transcends ordinary reality, indicating that the painters were aiming to present all the kucha kings as an “idealized” manner. the pictorial pattern of “standing on tiptoe” posture influenced by iranian sasanian and central asian sogdian art is evident.