莫高窟第158窟=Mogao cave 158; 涅槃經變=Nirvana Sutra illustration; 中亞粟特傳統=Sogdian tradition in Central Asia; 吐蕃影響=Tibetan influence; 高僧寫真傳統=traditional pattern of Buddhist monks images
Mogao cave 158 was built by Sogdian immigrants from Central Asia during the Tibetan occupation period in Dunhuang. The statues and murals in Cave 158 are in the traditional Tang style, but were influenced by both the culture of the Sogdian people who sponsored the construction of the cave, and the culture of the ruling Tibetans. The result of this confluence of cultures is obvious in the murals of cave 158, which show obvious artistic elements or influences from Sogdiana and Tibet. The source and influence of various artistic themes in these murals has been systematically investigated by art historians. The illustration of the Nirvana Sutra exhibits a traditional pattern of Central Asia. The figures in a mural depicting the first king, princes, and monkeys, as well as the medallion decoration patterns on the Three Buddha statues all show the influence of Sogdian art. The shape and characteristics of the title box beside a portrait in the corridor of the cave, and the halos of Zap and the emperor of the Central Plains were made in a Tibetan context. As for the Toutuo(dhatu) bags and bath bottle hanging on the lone tree in the Nirvana Sutra illustration, which has only recently been examined, this theme shows the influence of the Tang Dynasty Buddhist tradition on the nirvana images in this cave. On the whole, the murals of cave 158 shows an interesting phenomenon of multi-cultural interaction among the Tang, Tubo, and Sogdian peoples, which is a rare example of the interaction and penetration of multi-cultural arts on the Silk Road.
