National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

PLATE XVII

PAINTINGS FROM BEZEKLIK

Bez. iii. G—K

ROM the western outer wall of cella. The Buddha, with vesica and nimbus,

stands with head inclined to the left, his right hand uplifted in vitarka-mudrá,

and the left hanging down, lightly grasping a fold of his robe. The subject is

that so often repeated in the Bezeklik shrines the Buddha teaching, attended by

devatás or Bodhisattvas and monks.

This picture, besides having lost large portions on both sides of the central

figure (probably removed by German archaeologists) has suffered from exposure

to weather at its upper part.

The features of the Buddha, excepting the chin and portions of the mouth and

left eye, are destroyed. Small, even, white teeth, outlined with grey, can be seen at

the surviving corner of the mouth, and the end of a fantastically scrolled moustache.

Other details resemble many of those of Bez. iii. S—U, plate xviii. The hair is

dull blue, outlined on the forehead with a red, scalloped edge. An under-garment,

visible at the waist, is yellow with a red scroll border. Two long ends of the

jewelled garland hang right and left, each terminating in a tassel (that to the right

is missing). Each foot, sandal-shod, rests on a lotus with green seed-table, sur-

rounded by a whorl of pointed petals, shaded pink.

As in all of this type of Bezeklik composition, the vesica and nimbus are highly

decorative. Here, on a green background, are Chinese coral-like flames in red,

surrounded by white and grey bands, then a band of red, bearing grey rosettes. An

outer border of prismatic zigzags is divided into wing-shape masses (recalling

the corresponding border in Bez. iii. W—Y, plate xvi) against a dark brown

background. At the base of each wing-shape palmette, and resting on the inner,

yellow edge of the band, is a large white disk; and between the palmettes, on the

brown background, are smaller disks or pearls.

The lotuses supporting the Buddha's feet rest on a raft with a golden deck, the

red frame fitted with golden ferrules and bands at the projecting ends. The raft,

which seems to bend under the supported load, floats on the swirling green water

of a stream running between green banks, of which only that on the left remains.

This is conventionally treated, with black grass tufts and contour lines curving

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