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

Sec. in LIST OF PAINTINGS, TEXTILES, ETC., FROM CHIEN-FO-TUNG 975

monster with double fish-tail, and overhead pair of feet (soles) placed upright ; below, armour-clad deity with halberd, seated on rock at edge of water, and beside him hand, upright, with little finger extended, other fingers and thumb bent into palm ; on L., fig. in priest's or civilian's robe, with hair in two bunches at side of head, seated on mat with hands in adoration, and overhead pair of Buddha's feet as on R. Narrow end of these T-shaped spaces surmounted by flat arch formed by upper half of two dragons, which issue, jewel in mouth, from mouth of tortoise.

Explanatory Chin. inscrs., in many cases half-effaced, are written in by figs. in each of T-spaces and beside many of other emblems anddivinities.

Good condition. r' I i" X 1' Ioq".

*Ch. 0019o. Drawing on paper, with Chin. inscr., forming Buddhist magic diagram or Man?ala. In plan, a good example of type followed more or less closely by all other Buddhist diagrams in Collection ; but divinities and emblems are here represented solely by written names, not by figs. For others, drawn or written, see Ch. 00186, 00187, 00189, 00379, 00398, 00420, 00428; xxii. 0015, and xliii. 004.

At centre an eight-petalled lotus contained within square; this again surrounded by three outer squares, the greater enveloping the less. In middle of each side of outermost squares or border, section marked off by cross-lines ; smaller section (opposite middle of this) is the inner border adjoining. A fig. is thus formed resembling a T with wide head and short thick leg, the head lying along outermost border and leg pointing in towards centre of diagram. In the painted diagrams these figs. are always distinctively coloured ; and from inscr. on present example, they seem to be associated with four points of compass. The whole diagram may perhaps represent the universe on plan of formal sq. garden on which Indian plans of Mount Meru are often based. The crossed Vajras on which some of the diagrams (i.e. Ch. 00398 and 00428) are based, and which were supposed to support Universe, make this the more likely.

Whole covered with Chin. inscr. In heart of central lotus, prayer to Buddha ; spandrels formed by its circumference and corners of innermost square bear respective names of offerings,' flower',' incense ', flame', and `scent'. First outer square is written round with Skr. Dhârani (1), transliterated into 2 11. Chin. ; round its corners written in turn names of Four Lokapalas. Outermost border, and T-shaped spaces, also fully inscr. with names of divinities, all assigned specifically to one or other of four quarters of globe.

On rev. 17 ll. Chin. Good condition. i' 41' X I Imo".

Ch. 00191-00202. Series of paper paintings with Chin. inscr., each representing a Buddha seated on Padmâsana and perhaps including the nine types of Amitâbha. Work of the roughest description ; drawing poor, colouring coarse and limited to dark chocolate, red, and greenish turquoise, besides pinkish buff for flesh and background. In 00198 and later nos. which prob. formed another set, there is also orange-red and sepia, but no chocolate. The lotus has a turquoise centre, and a single row of down-turned petals,

red-tipped or buff; the haloes and vesicas are circular, the former red with buff border, the latter painted in concentric rings of buff turquoise and red. The Buddhas have red lips, but otherwise are painted entirely in buff with black eyes and outlines. At side of each picture is a cartouche containing a hastily scrawled Chin. inscr. giving an epithet descriptive of the deity, but many are illegible, at least in part. The paintings were made in a series on pieces of paper pasted together in strips, and were afterwards cut up into separate pictures; but the tracing has been badly adjusted, as the join almost always comes in the middle of a fig., see 00191-2, 00194, 00197. All have been pasted flat on a stucco surface and are stiff with remains of clay. The poses are various, as follows :

00191. Legs in adamantine pose ; R. hand in vltarkamudrâ, L. horizontal below it with second and third fingers bent up. Robe chocolate lined with white, under-robe red ; R. arm and shoulder bare. Inscr. on R. torn but complete. Ios' x 8$".

00192. Legs in adamantine pose ; R. hand before breast, back uppermost but drooping from wrist, thumb, second and third fingers curled up ; L. hand hanging over knee. Robe chocolate with turquoise lining, under-robe light red; R. shoulder partially covered. Inscr. on R. 9i" x 8r".

00193. Upper half of Buddha only, with Padmâsana and L. knee of another above. Robe chocolate with turquoise lining, covering both shoulders and arms ; hands not visible. Inscr. on R. ,or x 8r.

00194. Legs in adamantine pose ; R. hand raised but held away from body, open, slightly reversed with palm up and thumb and forefinger joined as in vitarka-mudrà; L. hand on knee as in 00192. Robe chocolate lined with turquoise, partially drawn over R. shoulder. Inscr. on L. 9k' x 8g'.

00195. Legs half unlocked with feet resting on Padmâsana ; R. hand as in 00194, but slightly curved forward instead of reversed ; L. lies open on its back on knee, thumb and forefinger joined. Robe chocolate lined with turquoise, partially covering R. shoulder ; under-robe red. Inscr. on R. 1 oâ x 6a' to 7i".

00196. Legs in adamantine pose ; R. hand as in 00194, L. raised and held horizontally out at side back uppermost, thumb and forefinger extended, other fingers bent. Robe chocolate lined with turquoise, drawn partly over R. shoulder; under-robe red. One char. of inscr. remains in R. top corner. 1o$" x 7$".

00197. Legs in adamantine pose ; both hands raised and held as in 00194. Robe chocolate with turquoise lining, partly covering R. shoulder, and held by cord over L.; under-robe red. Cartouche on R. blank, but inscr. on background L. i oi" x 8g'.

00198. Legs in adamantine pose; hands as in 00191. Red robe lined with white partly covers R shoulder, under-robe turquoise. Two bottom chars. only remain of inscr. on L. R. lower corner also lost. tor x 88'.