Apsaras

Ming Dynasty

South Wall, Dabaoji Palace, Baisha

This apsaras, a flying celestial, seems to emerge dramatically from the surface of the painting. Her torso and lower body are covered by clouds and drapery, the swirling drapery effectively suggesting a being in flight. She holds a pan¹ of refreshments (the apsarasas were heavenly servitors) in her left hand.

¹Note. It looks like a pie pan, but I do not know if that type of pastry is attested in pre-modern Asia.