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

Sec. ii] LIST OF PAINTINGS, TEXTILES, ETC., FROM CHIEN-FO-TUNG 1043

All scenes take place on open ground in mountainous country, and are divided by curving range of hills, or pine-crowned cliffs ; except between (z) and (ii) and (x) and (xi), where there is a wall. Regarding interpretation of scenes, cf. M. Chavannes' notes on Ch. liv. 004, App. A, V. A.

Donors number six men kneeling on R., and five women on L. grouped in three ranks : a bald-headed old woman in front, prob. the grandmother ; behind her a younger woman' alone, and in the third rank three young women in row. Behind last again are three children (boys). Their dress is on same general lines as tenth-century dress in Ch. lviii. 003, but much simpler and without orns. Men and boys wear loose belted coats, no under-tunic showing ; three of men wear black hats as in Ch. lviii. 003, the other three the black peaked and tailed caps common in side-scenes and Life-scene banners (for approx. dating of costumes see above, p. 885). The women's jackets have less wide sleeves than in lviii. .003, and are not of the regulation black, but orange, chocolate, or crimson. Elaborate head-dress of Ch. lviii. 003 is conspicuously absent, and hair done plain in flat round top-knot like a mushroom-head, or in large rippling backward-waving crest like the dancer's in banner Ch. xlix. 005. The boys have their hair done in round tufts above temples as in Ch. xxxvi. cox, and apparently close-cut to head or partly shaved below.

Surface much worn. 5' z"x .t'. Thousand Buddhas, Pl. VII.

Ch. xxxviii. oo5. Large silk painting with Chin. inscr. showing two standing figs. of Avalokilesvara (Kuanyin) approaching life-size. Broken round edges and down middle, but figs. practically intact, and drawing and colour excellently preserved.

The Bodhisattvas stand facing each other, respectively to R. and L., their outer hands raised in vilarka-nnudrei, the hands nearest each other also raised and carrying (Avalok. on L.) a yellow flower, (Avalok. on R.) a flask. The latter also holds willow branch between closed finger and thumb of L. hand. Dhyani-buddha on front of tiaras. Dress, coiffure, and jewellery are of the elaborate ' Chinese Buddhist' style as seen in *Ch. 002, etc. ; but ornament, though carefully treated in detail, not overdone. Shawl-like stoles, grey and maroon resp., lined with light green ; under-robes Indian red ; long skirts orange ; girdles white ; metal-work of jewellery in bronze colouring noted in *Ch. 0051, etc.; hair black ; flesh white delicately shaded with pink, and outlined with black. Heads held erect ; ears elongated and conventionally treated, but features otherwise delicate and very finely drawn. Eyes narrow, and with eyebrows very oblique. Eyebrows, small curling moustache and imperial painted green over black. Circular haloes and draped canopies above heads; flowers falling through air.

Inscr. 9 11., incomplete at top, on large yellow cartouche between heads.

Workmanship of high standard throughout, and an example of the conventional ` Chinese Buddhist' art at its best. 4' I I" X 3' 5". Pl. LXXXI ; Thousand Buddhas, Pl. Xv.

Ch. xxxviii. oo6. Remains of large silk painting ; seven strips joined side to side to form a square, with remains of border down one side. No coherent subject, but frs. of different subjects (altar, pavilion, and attendant Bodhisattvas) on different strips, some of which are upside-down with relation to others. Colour and drawing almost effaced. 3' 4'X3' 6'.

Ch. xxxviii. oo7. Painted linen banner ; all accessories lost, surface smudged.

Subject : Bodhisattva, prob. Avalokitesvara, standing facing spectator ; R. hand at breast, third finger bent, thumb and other fingers erect ; L. hand by side holding fold of stole; Dhyani-buddha in grey robe on front of tiara. Fig. purely Indian in style, and workmanship primitive. Dress as in silk banner *Ch. Iv. 0014, etc. ; colouring only yellow, light blue (including blue hair), and dull red. Circular halo, and

, straight striped valance above. z' lo" x 6f'.

Ch. xl. ooi. Remains of painted silk banner ; much broken and picture almost obliterated, but evidently showed souls rising from Lake Sukhavati as in Ch. Iv. 0015. There are five seated Bodhisattvas rising alternately on either side as in better-preserved example, but corner which may have contained infant soul too mutilated to be intelligible. Figs. are like those of Ch. lv. ooze in dress, pose, and physical type, but the drawing has been slightly finer. The colours used are again red and olive-green and a little dark brown or purple. No accessories preserved. 2' 1 ' x 7"•

Ch. xl. 004. Painted silk banner, with head-piece, streamers, and weighting-board cotnplet'e. Streamers of light green silk, decayed. Painting in fair condition.

Subject : Bodhisattva. Stands   L. with hands hanging
crossed before body; practically a replica of Ch. 003. Colouring light blue, green, and crimson considerably worn.

Painting 2' 3" x qg' ; length of whole 6'.

Ch. xl. 005. Painted silk banner ; all accessories lost ; painting in fair condition.

Subject : Avalokitesvara. Stands facing spectator ; R. hand raised, prob. carrying willow branch effaced or never painted in, L. hand by side carrying flask ; Dhyani-buddha on front of head-dress ; small curling moustache and beard in copper-green over black. Dress mixture of types *Ch. ooz and 0017. Skirt (light red) drawn up, billowy mass showing bare feet and ankles ; short plain over-skirt with light blue frill as in Ch. xxii. 004, etc. ; crimson drapery over breast and behind shoulders ; and chocolate stole lined with copper-green over shoulders and arms. Jewellery also copper-green (except tiara, yellow) with jewels of crude light blue. Eyes oblique. Treatment and accessories (halo, etc.) in ' Chinese Buddhist ' style as in *Ch. 002 ; but reminiscent of type *Ch. lv. 0014 in pose, shape of face, forms of jewellery, dark red outlines of all flesh, and light blue hair in stiff top-knot and mass behind shoulders. 2' I "x 7".

Ch. xl. oo6. Fr. of painted silk banner showing

6 R 2