Extraterritorial Images and Horizontal Scroll Composition: On the Northern Wei "Nine-Coloured Deer Benson" from Cave 257 of Mogao Caves and the Transformation of China

Along with the introduction of Buddhism, Buddhist paintings were also introduced into China from India through the western region to the east. It naturally continued the Tianzhu and Western painting style in the process of eastward transmission, and then with the deepening of the dissemination and the traditional painting of the Central Plains continue to collision and integration, in the gradual incorporation of the artistic elements of Chinese painting and language, began to move towards the road of Buddhist painting "Chinese". Dunhuang Mogao Cave murals are undoubtedly the most comprehensive and complete mural paintings reflecting the development of Buddhist murals "Chinese" outstanding representatives. In this paper, we take the mural painting "Nine-coloured Deer Benshengtu" in Cave 257 of Mogao Caves of Northern Wei Dynasty as an example, study and interpret the "Nine-coloured Deer Benshengtu",explore the artistic style and transformation of "Sinicisation" of Buddhist paintings of the Northern Dynasty with the character image, painting technique and composition.