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0573 Serindia : vol.2
Serindia : vol.2 / Page 573 (Grayscale High Resolution Image)

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doi: 10.20676/00000183
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Sec.ii] LIST OF PAINTINGS, TEXTILES, ETC., FROM CHIEN-FO-TUNG 1071

from below knees) was standing facing spectator, weight carried on L. hip and body thrown to L. (spectator's). R. arm bent up at elbow and hand extended palm uppermost, holding between finger and thumb long stem of pink lotus on which rests a book. L. hand raised before breast, palm out, thumb and third finger joined. Skirt of transparent white stuff, spotted with red, over green langoti; stoles of dull red green and brown. Face round, with wide mouth and small curls along forehead. Remains of yellow paint on R. hand. II 'X7h'.

Ch. lv. 0032. Painted silk banner, in ' Indian ' style ; complete except for weighting-board and part of bottom streamers, but considerably repaired. Remains of painted Buddha in triangle of head-piece, and two Chin. chars. on border. Streamers of plain dark brown silk ; head-piece

bordered with cinnamon-coloured silk.   •

Subject : Avalokilesvara. Much like Bodhisattva of *Ch. lv. 0014 ; same stiff attitude, coarse colouring, and identical treatment and arrangement of drapery. Flesh outlined with dark red, and painted white shaded with pink, but has lost much colour. L. hand holds willow branch before breast ; R. hanging by side carries flask. Skirt buff with folds in dull blue ; girdle red and yellow with white inner side ; stole Indian red and green ; scarf across breast dark purple and olive ; drapery behind shoulders red and yellow. Jewellery, head-dress, etc., as in *Ch. Iv. oo14 ; but no armlets, and hair on top of head dressed in high cone. Face more carefully drawn and well preserved. Painting 1' 1 o° x 6r, length of whole 4' 9'.

Ch. lv. 0033. Large silk painting representing Paradise of Amiliibha (or . ~ä yamuni ?), with side-scenes showing legend of Ajàtatatru and meditation of Queen Vaidehi, as in *Ch. 0051. General arrangement and treatment similar. Incomplete at top and bottom, but legendary scenes and 4' silk border at sides almost intact ; generally well preserved, but colour faded.

Pose of presiding Buddha same as in Ch. v. o01. Bodhisattva on L., prob. Avalokiteivara from Dhyàni-buddha on front of his tiara, has R. hand in vitarka-mudrâ, and L. raised as if in blessing with thumb and two fingers erect. His companion on other side, with blue lotus bud on front of tiara, has hands in adoration. Usual company of Bodhisattvas, dancer, and musicians occupy main terrace. Musicians play on lute, pipe, clappers, harp, mouth-organ, and flute, all of same type as in *Ch. lii. oo3 (but see for slight variations Miss Schlesinger's notes, App. H). In bottom corners subsidiary Buddhas with their attendants.

Infant souls with upstretched arms float on lotuses upon lake ; in centre foreground seems to have been a raft with birds as in Ch. sxxiii. oo3, etc. Elaborate galleries, verandahs, and pavilions of mansions behind are inhabited by Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, a double-headed Garuda playing on lute, and a white crane. Small Buddhas rise on clouds beyond roofs.

Composition less crowded than usual, giving effect of space, which is increased by light background of pale blue used for floor of main terrace in place of black. Architecture elaborate,

but ornamentation of haloes and dress simple. Colouring light, consisting almost entirely of bright crimson, light blue, and green on a background of two latter colours. There are no dark spots except in black hair of all secondary figs. and dark brown of railings in celestial buildings. Roofs of galleries and pavilion supported by open rows of crimson pillars, without solid walls.

Flesh of all figs. left the greenish brown of silk shaded with (faded) red. Buddha's face long and rectangular ; those of Bodhisattvas and nymphs of large-cheeked aquiline-nosed type; with prominent eyes, the sockets of which are emphasized by wide semicircle drawn round inner angle. The work is by a practised hand and adequately finished, but lacks the special refinement of *Ch. lii. 003.

The side-scenes (see *Ch. 005 z) are in usual secular Chinese style, and represent on R. :

(i) Sàkyamuni on Mount Grdhrakiita ; he stands between two flowering trees, visible to knees, under precipitous cliffs ;

(ii) setting of this and following scenes on R., as in Ch. lv.

0047 ; Bimbisàra in prison, and Vaidehi throwing herself
down before the Buddha who appears on cloud ; (iii) Ajàta-

iatru pursuing his mother with sword ; minister and physician

not shown ; (iv) Ajatasatru receiving visitor, who remonstrates
with him on his treatment of his mother (?); same as Ch. lvi.

0018. vi (q. v.); (v) Vaidehi visiting Bimbisàra in prison ; she carries golden wreath as in Ch. lv. 0047. vi ; in sky Maudgalyàyana appears on cloud ; (vi) almost entirely destroyed, but shows man on horse, and is prob. same as unidentified scene y in *Ch. 0051, etc.

On L. is Queen Vaidehi meditating on Sukhavafi as follows : (vii) on Sun, here containing the phoenix ; (viii) on

Moon (?), a white disc within tank-like enclosure ; cf. Ch.

xxxiii. 003. vii:, and Ivi. 0018. xiii; (ix) on Water as the
Lake (?), a green enclosure ; (x) on Water as ice (?), same

as in Ch. liii. 003. x ; lvi. 0018. xii, etc. ; (xi) on the Ground

of Sukhâvati, or the Lake of Eight Virtues (?), a green
square within chequered border subdivided into ten or eleven

smaller squares ; cf. Ch. 00216, etc., but the small squares

here marked like water ; (xii) on the Mansions of Sukhâvali,
represented by pavilion ; (xiii) on the Flowery Throne,

a pedestal resting on a lotus, and with the Mani on top ;

(xiv) on the Jewel-tree; (xv) on Buddha Amitâbha or
Amitàyus, standing ; (xvi) on Avalokitebvara ; (xvii) on

Mahàsthâma ; (xviii) on Amitâbha or Amitàyus, seated on

Padmàsana ; (xix) on Rebirth in Sukhàvali ; another woman
like herself and unhaloed, kneeling on mat opposite her with

hands in adoration ; derived from scenes like Ch. xxxiii. oo3. xvi, and lvi. 0018. xvi ; (xx) on Rebirth in Sukhavalt ; an infant within pointed halo rising from lotus ; (xxi) destroyed.

The Queen's dress and coiffure as in *Ch. 0051. Blank cartouche, red or yellow, for inscr. placed by each scene.

6'2'x6'5'.

Ch. lv. oo34. Painted silk banner, in ' Indian' style ; retaining triangular head-piece and side streamers. Lower end of painting with streamers lost. Head-piece bound with fine hand-woven tapestry identical with that of Ch. 0058 (Pl. CVI). Triangular panel shows floral design, with bright red and blue