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0586 Ancient Khotan : vol.1
Ancient Khotan : vol.1 / Page 586 (Grayscale High Resolution Image)

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doi: 10.20676/00000182
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496   THE RUINS OF AK-SIPIL AND RAWAK   [Chap. XIV

Among the colossal statues which occupied the wall to the north of the gate and which have already been referred to, the one nearest to the group of Dvârapâlas (R. xxix), showed on its knees remains of leaf-gold stuck on originally in several small patches. The largest of these, judging from the darkened colour of the plaster surface, seems to have measured about an inch square. I could not have wished for a better illustration of the quaint custom which Hsiian-tsang has recorded of the miracle-working Buddha figure of sandal-wood he saw at 131-mo. ` Those who have any disease, according to the part affected, cover the corresponding place on the statue with gold-leaf, and forthwith they are healed 18 '. May we conclude from the number of gold-leaf plasters of which the marks remain on this Rawak image that it had enjoyed particular fame for healing power in affections of the knee ?

Near the feet of R. xxx was found a small headless figure in flat relief (see Plate XXXVI), representing probably a Buddha which had originally belonged to the decoration of some large vesica like that of R. xii, xiii, and had been transferred here. The pose was similar to, but not quite identical with, that of R. xii. z and its numerous replicas. Between the colossal statues the remaining cleared portion of the inner east wall-face also showed four smaller images (R. xxxii, xxxv, xxxvii, xxxix), all of them headless. The last and R. xxxv are replicas of a Bodhisattva, richly adorned with mani-strings over the half-uncovered breast. R. xxxvii (Plate XV. b) is also a Bodhisattva, bearing a large jewelled ornament on the breast and a richly decorated girdle knotted with large tassels in the centre. R. xxxv showed but scanty remains of drapery, and had a large piece of stucco of uncertain origin inserted in the place of the missing feet—evidently a rough attempt made by some of the last attendants of the shrine to preserve the mutilated figure from falling.

The sculptures facing on the outside the portion of the south-east wall last described (R. xlii–xlvii) had, as Plates XV. d, XVI. a, b show, suffered far more damage than those lining its inner face. Of the two colossal statues (R. xlii, xliii) enough survived to show elaborate and well-arranged drapery. Its folds retained a good deal of whitewash, and behind R. xlii the outlines of part of a painted aureole could still be discerned. The image adjoining (R. xliv) was found broken from above the knees, and the small standing figure by its side was also badly damaged. The large statue (R. xlv) could not be entirely cleared from fear of collapse ; but its proportions and the manner in which the drapery is indicated on the part of the body exposed render it probable that it resembled the type represented by the majority of the colossal statues on the other portion of the outer south-east face. This is quite certain of the figure R. xlvii, which on its extant parts displays the pose of the left hand and the stiff vertical lines meant to indicate drapery folds falling over the lower limbs, which are characteristic of that group. R. xliv had collapsed before excavation, and the remainder of the wall space as far as the gate had not retained any of its sculptural decoration. The much 'decayed surfaces of the masonry within the gate and near it suggested that they may have originally been revetted with wood, which had caused them to be left without proper finish and plaster-covering. -Between two small bricks on the right side of the entrance and about i 2 ft. above the ground was found a wu-chu coin (see Plate LXXXIX. i7) showing very little wear, evidently a votive deposit.

The reliefs flanking the gate to the left, i.e. towards the outer south corner of the quadrangle, were found completely broken, except for a small figure (R. xlviii), probably a Buddha, standing, with right breast uncovered. Its head, which had to be removed as it threatened to fall (see

R. xlviii. I in list), is a replica of R. lxxii.   R. xlix (see Plate XVI. c, also Fig. 65), broken
above the waist, is a colossal draped statue differing by its drapery, gathered in free folds,

18 See above, p. 455 ; Me'moires, ii. p. 243 ; Beal, ii. p. 322.

Leaf-gold patches on knees of statue

R. xxix.

Reliefs

R. xlii—xlvii, on outer south-east wall.

Statues

R. xlviii—liii, south of gate, on outer wall-face.