Frantz Grenet and Pénélope Riboud, A Reflection of the Hephtalite Empire: The Biographical Narrative in the Reliefs of the Tomb of the Sabao Wirkak ( 494–579)
While the sixth-century tomb of Wirkak is well known for its
religious iconography, especially the scene of the ascent to Heaven, it
is also interesting for its secular scenes of banquets, hunts, travels,
and caravans. These, too, also indicate close contact with the
Central Asian and Iranian worlds. The panels, put together, appear to
form a continuous narrative pertaining to Wirkak’s life and social
ascent and indicate that his travels took place during the last decades
of Hephtalite rule in Central Asia. In this respect, as well as in the
remarkable religious eclecticism, this sarcophagus stands unique in the
whole series of the Sino-Sogdian reliefs, where biographical scenes
appear more stereotyped and form self-contained units.
