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0532 Serindia : vol.2
Serindia : vol.2 / Page 532 (Color Image)

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doi: 10.20676/00000183
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103o CAVE-TEMPLES & ANTIQUES OF THE THOUSAND BUDDHAS [Ch. XXV

in blessing ; before him kneel five figs. in belted coats, yellow, crimson, or green, and black-tailed caps, their hands held up by their sides or joined as in adoration. Behind them a verandahed building flanked by trees and a projecting corner of courtyard wall. Dress, buildings, coiffures, and floral decoration are entirely Chinese as in Ch. lv. 009, etc. ; workmanship exceedingly rough. Outlines of buildings painted direct in red lines over tracing, and drawing of figs. is perfunctory. Colouring consists only of dull tones of crimson, slate-blue, light green, and red, yellow, and orange. Walls of pavilions and gateway white, courtyard walls yellowish brown. A double cartouche (blank) in orange-red on side of each scene.

Scenes not represented elsewhere' in paintings. For unidentified scenes in same style of workmanship and perhaps of same series, see Ch. Iv. 0021, 0022.

Painting I' 7~" X 6r", length with head-piece 2' or".

Ch. xxvi. oor. Large silk painting representing Six-armed Avalokitesvara, seated, with attendants. Fine composition, but surface badly damaged ; lower end destroyed by fire, R. edge lost, and several large holes where (dark) green paint has corroded silk.

Fig. sits on large white Padmâsana in attitude of ' royal ease ' ; R. knee raised, supporting elbow of upper R. arm, head inclined over R. shoulder. Body of slim-waisted Indian ' type as in Ch. ooI2I ; upper hands raised towards head, R. defaced, L. with thumb, second and third fingers joined ; middle hands, R. before breast in vitarka-mudrâ, L. below with palm up, fingers as in upper hands ; lower hands, R. hanging downwards with fingers as in upper hands, L. resting on back on ground, thumb and first finger joined. No emblem except Dhyani-buddha on front of tiara, which appears as high solid cone of chased bronze.

Garments those of ' Indian ' Bodhisattva (see *Ch. Iv. 0014) with flower-orn. caps over knees, and jewellery painted light green. Circular vesica of vandyke ray and flower pattern, and circular halo of waving rays ; free edges of the two outlined by one continuous border of conventional flame, making three-lobed frame to fig. Outside flame-border again is broad band of white defined at outer edge by string of small lotus flowers set in bronze beads and seen in profile. This band encloses whole fig. from tips of Padmâsana in circle of light. Outside is canopy, and in four corners four small seated Bodhisattvas ; two lower all but destroyed, two upper seated on lotus flowers which grow on twining stems from ground below.

Colouring chiefly white, dark red and light pinkish red, dark green and light green, on brown background; with blue on edges of robes only, and (on Avalok.'s flesh) yellow outlined and shaded with lighter red ; but all colours much gone, and yellow and white almost rubbed off. Drawing refined and by sure hand ; picture orig. of first class. Cf. for other single Avaloks. seated in this and other attitudes, under Ch. 00121. 3' 6A" X 2' 5". Thousand Buddhas, Pl. XXIII.

Ch. xxvi. 002. Embroidered silk head-piece to banner. A triangular panel of cream silk damask with

border of thick silk gauze of dark plum colour, like Ch. 00332 in weave, but with more ribbed effect. Orig. suspension loop of figured silk, extremely faded but showing spot pattern same as that of Ch. 00432 on green (?) ground, worn out and replaced by loop of scarlet figured silk resembling Ch. 00177. b. This also worn to shreds. One orig. side streamer of dull myrtle-green silk-gauze with inwoven rosette pattern preserved, but faced with new streamer of dark blue plain silk, stitched to it with yellow silk. Small ornamental silk tassels, green and pink, attached to edge of border and of orig. suspension loop.

Triangular panel covered with fine embroidery in Chinese style, obscuring pattern of damask, which however seems to be of naturalistic floral type. Embroidery design consists of six-petalled blossom in middle, with tubular centre from which palmette-shaped blossoms and leaves rise to fill apex of panel, while other flowers and leaves spread to corners.

Worked in true satin-stitch in silks of three shades each of scarlet, green, and blue, also in dull brown, white, and light yellow. Colouring brilliant, harmonious, and well distributed so as to link main features of design. Stitching very fine and beautifully executed, back of embroidery presenting as perfect a surface as front. Below central flower, in place of leaf traced but not worked in, group of Chin. chars. roughly sewn in dark brown and illegible. Panel outlined with band of long-stitch, and chevron band below. From careful repairing evidently a prized piece of work. H. 9", base of triangle I' 6". Pl. CXI.

Ch. xxvi. oog. Torn strip of silk embroidery, showing part of naturalistic floral design on thin pink silk faded to pale buff. At bottom, remains of deer's head and horns. In making, the silk ground was faced with coarser pink silk gauze, and embroidery worked solid in satin-stitch through both, the gauze being then cut away round all outlines of design. Traces remain about tendrils and leaves not entirely filled in. By this method the embroidery was more easily done, and the finished work gained in solidity and relief. Stitching beautifully carried out in shaded greens, blues, terra-cottas, greys, mauve, and white. To end and back are roughly sewn fr. of dull terra-cotta lozenge-diapered silk damask, irregularly woven, and strip of plain red calendered silk. To latter remain attached shreds of apricot-coloured silk damask stamped with part of some large design. I1" X 3r. PI. CVI.

Ch. xxvi. a. oor. Painted silk banner ; fragmentary, accessories lost except four bottom streamers of dark olive-green silk damask, glazed. Damask pattern a hexagonal diaper, carried out in double line which is broken at each corner of hexagon by three-membered star. Each hexagon contains lozenge-shaped rosette.

'Subject : Virüidhaka, Guardian of the South. Fig., exaggeratedly tall and slight, stands facing spectator on head and shoulder of crouching demon ; R. hand carrying over shoulder club painted in alternate bands of green and red ; L. supporting at shoulder level miniature four-pillared shrine. Weight is thrown on R. hip ; L. knee is bent and L. foot on