Some remarks on Rawak (Khotan Oasis, Xinjiang): The stupa, clay sculptures and wall paintings

A re-appraisal of the Buddhist sacred area of Rawak, in the Khotan oasis, excavated by M.A. Stein and, after him, by E. Trinkler. The article reviews the current interpretation of the site, as far as the historical and art-historical context is concerned, by reconsidering the typology of the stupa and re-examining the iconography and style of the clay sculptures, with a few remarks on the wall paintings. As a result of the investigation, a new proposal is brought forward for what concerns the chronology (6th to 8th century, instead of 3th-4th century) and the art-historical contextualisation of the site, which show particularly close links with the late or post-Gandharan as well as Kashmiri tradition.