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

Sec. ii] LIST OF PAINTINGS, TEXTILES, ETC., FROM CH`IEN-FO-TUNG   953

R. hand is in vilarka-mudrd ; L. before breast, palm uppermost, thumb, second and third fingers joined. His hair is black ; his flesh a coarse yellow shaded with red ; eyebrows and small moustache and imperial, green over black ; flesh outlines red, but strengthened with black at face and neck. Eyes slightly oblique, with downcast lids giving narrow effect, but a particularly large eye-socket is indicated by semicircular lines round inner angle. Mahâsthàma has both hands in vilarka-mudrd, while Avalokitegvara has L. hand in vilarka-mudrd and carries flask in pendent R. hand.

Their hair is black ; their flesh seems to have been white or pink, but colour entirely gone ; their figs., dress, and jewellery are of the Indian' variety as in Ch. lv. 0014. Jewellery painted dark crimson, draperies entirely salmon-red or dark olive. Haloes of all three circular, painted in variegated rings of grey, crimson, or green ; canopies of usual tasselled and jewelled kind as in *Ch. 00r, etc.

Work rough, and colouring dingy, even apart from its discoloration. a' 4-i" X I' Ion.

Ch. oo68. Fr. of large silk painting representing Paradise of Amildbha or .S(ikyamum; of same type as *Ch. 0051, etc. L. side only of central Buddha with L. hand in vilarka-mudrd, end of altar, and parts of four attendants preserved. Three of latter are Bodhisattvas, fourth a male disciple without tiara or top-knot ; all correspond to similar figs. in *Ch. 0051. Part of Paradise buildings, and of palm (?) and willow (?) trees remain above. Colouring chiefly crimson and dull green, with orange, dark pink, and pale blue on haloes and vesica ; considerably faded. I'm" x 9".

Ch. oo6g. L. half of silk painting representing, when complete, Vaiiravana and two attendants. L. side preserved with fig. of one attendant intact and upper two-thirds of Vairavana. Border lost, but remains of painting in fair condition though cracked.

Both figs. are standing—Vairavana facing spectator, with R. hand at shoulder grasping staff of halberd with two-spiked head and red pennon. Dress that of Lokapalas of banners (see *Ch. 0010, General Note) and especially resembling that of Ch. lv. 005, but armour scales not marked. Flaps over hips are of tiger-skin ; and doublet ends on upper arm in mask of horned monster, through whose open mouth the arm passes. Small sword hangs slanting across legs. Face not grotesque, except for large irregularly shaped eyes, and eyebrows conventionally frowning.

Attendant carries mongoose by neck with R. hand, and flaming jewel with L. (This is the only painting of Vai§ravana in Collection in which the mongoose is found.) His body and limbs bare except for short red dhôli tied round hips with girdle and falling loosely about knees. His head and shoulders covered by tiger-skin, open jaws of which frame his forehead, while the fore-legs are knotted under his chin and the tail appears about his feet. He stands on heaped rolls of coins—an attribute of Vaiiravan_ a : Kubera as God of Wealth. 2' 5" x (incomplete) 1'.

Ch. 0070. a-q. Seventeen wooden weighting-boards for banners, one retaining streamer. Twelve

1374

painted with various kinds of rosettes, or lotus-flower and leaf design in black, dark green, dark red, and orange ; two painted with kind of enclosed palmette design ; two have lower half carved in relief to represent outspread lotus with double row of upstanding petals and single row of down-turned petals. These painted in same colours as above, with stamens in yellow upon uncarved upper half. One of plain wood. Most of boards show method of attaching streamers, the ends of which are turned over bamboo slip and gummed into narrow groove along board's upper edge. Average length 71-" to 8 " (lower edge) x I " ; gr. board rot" to r r$" (lower edge) x ri".

Ch. 0071. Remains of painted silk banner, with Chin. inscr., much broken but colour exceptionally fresh ; all accessories lost.

Subject : Scenes from Life of Buddha; Chinese in style, parts of three preserved. Inscr., on continuous cartouche down L. side, almost entirely broken away.

Scene I. Farewell or Departure of Chandaka(?). Only fig. remaining that of Prince, seated on R., dress and coiffure as in scenes (I) and (2) of Ch. lxi. 002. This and look of distress suggest above identification.

Scene 2. Pursuit of .. uddhodhana's messengers; replica of scene (3) of Ch. lxi. 002, but inferior in execution.

Scene 3. The First Sermon (?). Identification uncertain.

âkyamuni in Buddha robes, with halo and vesica and gilded flesh, is seated on lotus upon chased and gilded throne. Over him a draped canopy hanging on group of red-flowering star-leaved trees, found in same position in Paradise pictures. Behind throne stand three brown-robed monks with shaven heads. In front kneel the audience, three men (?) with high top-knots and gay parti-coloured jackets and long under-robes of crimson, green, blue, brown, and white. They kneel listening intently with their faces raised. [Buddha's L. hand is here raised, and his L. shoulder covered by the under-robe, through a mistake by the artist as to which was the right side of the banner or tracing. The inscription and the most finished painting are here on wrong side, if Indian tradition as to attitude is observed.]

Below a disjointed fr. showing group of men in belted coats and tailed caps, standing ; but their connexion with the other scenes cannot be determined.

Drawing inferior to that of Ch. lxi. ooa ; colouring gay, ornate, and carefully applied in ' illuminating ' style ; cf. Ch. 00216, etc.

For other representations of Departure of Chandaka, and Pursuit of uddhodhana's Messengers, see references under Ch. lxi. 002 ; for the First Sermon, perhaps scene (2) of Ch. xxvii. oor and (2) of Ch. xlvi. 004, cf. also above, p. 859.

Gr. fr. c. I' I" x 6i". Thousand Buddhas, PI. XII.

Ch. 0072. Upper end of banner, made of thin buff silk, unpainted, and retaining triangular head-piece. The latter of fine buff silk damask, woven in small lozenge pattern and bound with plain buff silk. On it is painted Buddha seated in meditation on red lotus, three-lobed halo behind. Simple style.

Length of whole Io2", width of banner 6i".

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