Warrior; Kizil kingdom; ca. 6th-7th century; China (Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region); Pigments on mud plaster; 9 1/4 x 5 3/8 in. (23.5 x 13.7 cm); Paintings; Armored figures are sometimes shown as devotees in the later cave temples at Kizil; at related sites such as Tumshuq; and in the secular wall paintings of Sogdia. They represent the ruling military elite who controlled the oasis kingdoms; such as those centered in Kucha on the northern part of the Silk Road and in Khotan on the southern branch