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

970 CAVE-TEMPLES & ANTIQUES OF

bunches on top of head (as in Ch. xxxvi. oo I) ; on his outstretched R. hand is white globe. Phoenix boldly drawn, with crested pheasant head and strong upcurling wings of Sun-bird type. He has red-spotted body, yellow legs, and wings of dull green, terra-cotta, and grey-blue. Same colours used for Bva: s dress and orns.

Yellow cartouche (blank) for inscr. in R. top corner. Condition good.

I' 64" x I' o8". Pl. xCI.

Ch. 00163. Paper painting with Chin. inscr. representing Manjusri on white lion, led by attendant, and with donor (ii) at side. General pose of group, style of Bodhisattva, accessories, etc., as in silk banners and large paintings (e.g. Ch. xxxviii. 004); but drawing comparatively lifeless, and painting rough. M. sits with L. leg pendent ; R. hand raised with thumb and third finger joined, and first and second extended ; L. hand carrying fungus sceptre. Most of flesh outlines are light red ; hair and dress that of Bodhisattva of type *Ch. 002.

Lion standing with mouth open ; white with red-spotted breast, toes, and backs of legs, and leaf-like orns. in dark pink on croup, tail, and fore-side of back-legs resembling carved orns. on Chinese jade beasts, etc. On L. fore-shoulder also curved red flame on wing-like orn. incompletely visible, but starting from spiral ; traces of a more leaf-like orn. appear round L. shoulder. Attendant's flesh painted dark pink ; he is placed high off ground, and represented as striding, though lion stands still. Whole group supported on pink clouds.

On L. edge stands (woman) donor on mat, dress and coiffure as in *Ch. 00102. On mat an infant kneels to her, naked except for red bow on hair and holding up hands in adoration with red lotus bud between.

Inscriptions placed on cartouche on R. edge, and (2 11.) on another in L. upper corner.

Colouring only pink, orange-red, grey, and greenish brown, all dingy in hue ; condition good ; pin-holes in corners. 1' 7â' X I Ii'. PI. XCI.

Ch. 00164. Fr. of illustrated Chinese calendrical MS., seiting forth the lucky and unlucky days for performing certain actions, etc. Punctuated in red. Contains diagram and two finely drawn illustrations. First shows above constellation of Plough, an altar in background ; in foreground deity of constellation, in garb of Chinese magistrate, standing with attendant by his side, and man in coat and tailed cap kneeling with hands in adoration before him. Second, apparently unfinished, shows monkey on cloud (genius of one of planets), and Chinese magistrate standing as in the former picture.

MS. 2' 31" X I Ii"; drawings 4' x 2$" and 3i' x 21'. Pl. c.

Ch. oo165. a—b. Triangular head-piece and sus• pension loop of figured silk from banner. (a) Head. piece of large-patterned silk, white on buff ground. Loose satin weave like that of Ch. 0076. Fr. of pattern preserved shows large open flower and parts of blunt rounded leaves of character common in the Shôsôin (see Shôsôin Catalogue, i.

THE THOUSAND BUDDHAS [Ch. XXV

PI. 27, silver-work on mirror-box). Narrow border of plain buff silk, and frs. of streamers of thin dull brown. Broken cane strainer wound with variegated silk yarns, and broken top of silk painting sewn up to head-piece. H. 6", base of triangle I' I". PI. CXII.

(b) Suspension loop from above of figured silk. Smooth supple satin twill, excellently woven ; soft warp ; part only of graceful design preserved. On dark myrtle-green ground are two rows of circular six-petalled rosettes, resp. pale pink and bright orange-red. Rosettes in each row spaced at about -1" ; rows about r" apart, rosettes in one row corresponding to spaces in other.

Facing each of pale pink rosettes a pair of ducks, reversed about a small lozenge-shaped base, and prob. corresponding to another pair on the other side (not preserved). Line of ducks linked by twining garland which they hold in their bills, and which forks into leaves between each pair. Birds admirably life-like ; woven in light green, yellow, and white, with myrtle-green eye and markings, and orange-red patch on breast and tail ; garland in same colours. Rosettes have heart-shaped petals, outlined with white, and passing through pale pink or orange-red respectively to light yellow-brown, within which is central small myrtle-green heart outlined with white. Flower centre (not preserved) bounded by green circle with white spots. For connexion of design with others in Collection, also figured silks 6-8 of patchwork Ch. Iv. 0028, see above, p. 906. Colours fresh. 81" x 21" (unpicked). Pl. CVI.

Ch. oo166. Two frs. of silk tapestry, from same piece as strips on manuscript-roll cover Ch. xlviii. oor, but cleaner and showing additional colours (pink, heliotrope, and scarlet). For fuller descr., see Ch. xlviii. oor. 6" and 3" X ". Pl. CVI.

Ch. 00167. Silk painting with Chinese inscription, representing Two-armed Avalokileivara (Kuan-yin), seated, with attendant Bodhisattvas and donors. Date given by inscription prob. October 15, A. n. 922. Painting complete and in perfect condition, with 2' border and suspension loops of puce-coloured silk. One corner of border replaced by band of good flower and bird embroidery, but from longer piece. Design in naturalistic Chinese style and worked in satin stitch in shaded greens, yellows, greys, blues, reds, and pinks, on dull sage-green gauze over plain silk of same colour, as in Ch. 00348, etc.

Avalok. sits on lotus of pinkish purple, with legs in enchanter's ' pose (R. leg bent across, and L. pendent), R. hand in vilarka-mudrd, with long-stemmed scarlet and white lotus bud held between finger and thumb, L. hand on knee holding flask. On front of tiara large fig. of Dhyânibuddha. He wears Indian arrangement of Bodhisattva dress like Eight-armed Avalok. in *Ch. 00102, and with same necklace of black beads ; but drawing is by a light and thoroughly practised hand, and clumsiness of orig. type lost (see *Ch. lv. 0014).

Av.'s skirt is of light vermilion sprinkled with grey, white, and yellow flowers; girdle light green and white ; scarf