Nine-Colored Deer King Jataka Artificial Nails

The narrative story paintings of the Nine-colored Deer Jataka

West Wall of Mogao Cave 257
Northern Wei Dynasty

On the upper part are images of sixteen heavenly musicians, below them are the thousand Buddhas in the center of which is a preaching scene, and at the lowest part are narrative story paintings of the Nine-colored Deer Jataka, which consists of eight episodes. The story begins from two ends and ends in the middle.

The episodes are:
1. a man fell into the river;
2. a nine-colored deer saved the drown man, devadatta; 3.devadatta knelt down to thank the deer;
4. the queen of the kingdom wanted to capture the deer;
5. devadatta told the king where the deer lived;
6. the king led his army to hunt for the deer;
7. A crow awoke the deer;
8. the deer told the king about devadatta.