When a small break in Two Bodhisattvas Burning Ritual Incense (50-64 A) revealed color within the clay foundation, Museum conservators determined that the painting had been done on a surface plastered over a previous work. The two paintings were carefully separated and revealed this bodhisattva of an earlier period. Because this painting was preserved under the mud plaster, the colors remain fresh. Some areas have been restored to integrate the composition. This earlier painting is rendered in a much simpler style than the other two. It incorporates broader areas of color but simplifies the surface decoration. The figure in the shape of a fluid "S" curve resembles many Tang dynasty sculptures. These stylistic elements suggest that it predates the images in the other two paintings.
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