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0589 Serindia : vol.2
Serindia : vol.2 / Page 589 (Color Image)

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doi: 10.20676/00000183
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Sec. ii] LIST OF PAINTINGS, TEXTILES

Paintings 1' 5" x 6i" to 7" ; average length of banner 3' 3".

Ch. lxvi. 002. Paper painting with Chin. inscr., representing Six-armed and Eleven-headed Avalokilefvara (Kuan-yin), standing, with woman donor and child. From inscriptions (see Petrucci,App. E, II) it appears that the painting was dedicated by woman, in gratitude for a daughter, to Kuan-yin as the Giver of Life. Body discoloured though complete, and details hardly distinguishable.

Avalok. stands on lotus rising from tank ; dress and orns. those of Indian Bodhisattva, as in *Ch. 00102, etc. His upper hands hold up discs of Sun and Moon ; Moon (in hand) containing tree, hare, and frog ; Sun (in L.) showing three-legged bird. His middle hands seem to be in vilarkamudrâ on either side of breast ; his lower hands are held down by sides, thumbs and forefingers apparently joined and other fingers extended. Circular halo forms background to fig. down to level of these hands. Above is usual draped canopy hanging on red-flowering trees.

Donor kneels on R. holding censer ; she wears green skirt and red and white jacket ; her hair dressed like donors' in *Ch. 00102, etc. Child (a boy) sitting on L. is on larger scale and has been cut out from another piece of paper and pasted on. He sits playing the guitar, wears only red sleeveless tunic, and is shaved except for curl on forehead.

Lines of Bodhisattva's robes and his ornaments and those on canopy were orn. with gilding laid on upon narrow strips of paper or in a mass upon a patch of resin. Most of it has been removed or lost. Drawing poor, and colouring principa'lly dark red and green.

Painting pasted on larger piece of paper forming border, and whole mounted again on still larger piece of coarse linen with long string of same sewn to top. Linen border was further orn. with series of silk and paper flowers made on principle of Ch. 0077, 00149 ; a row of them preserved along the lower edge. On L. upper side a small projecting flap of linen, pasted over with square of paper stamped with rows of minute seated Buddhas. On its outer edge again were leather loops, of which one remains.

Inscr. placed on narrow cartouches on R. and L. edge of painting. Painting 1' 6' X I x ', with mount 2' 4i" x 1' Si."

Ch. cii. oot. Painted paper roll, incomplete, illustrating Chinese Buddhist hell. Scenes from R. to L. represent :

(i) Four of Infernal Judges sitting in judgement ; (ii) one of Judges sending souls back into Six Worlds of Desire ; (iii) one of Hot Hells ; (iv) Ksitigarbha in monk's guise receiving souls driven by demons.

(i) Four judgement scenes much alike. Judge sits at draped table; on either side of him stands attendant, who from her dress, red cheeks, and hair parted and done in roll round her neck seems to be a woman (?). Before Judge condemned souls wearing cangue, and often, with a similar instrument confining their hands, led by lictors. Condemned wear only white dhôlis ; their hair tied in bunch. One in third scene is being beaten ; others are tormented by lictors, who force their heads round by twisting their hair on

, ETC., FROM CH`IEN=FO-TUNG 1087

long projecting handle of cangue. Lictors-mostly human in appearance, though one has horns and another an ox-head ;

they wear long white trousers, under-tunics, coats with long skirts, and black two-eared caps. Majority carry hatchets or clubs.

Two other figs. also occur in each scene : a man and woman in Chinese secular dress (see donors in *Ch. 00x02),

the man carrying a bundle of manuscript rolls, the woman

an image of Buddha. They are always walking away from rest of group, and may represent souls who by their piety

have passed the judgement successfully. In last of these scenes a second man is with them, carrying Buddha image like the woman.

Judges, bearded, wear green or crimson robes with wide out-flying sleeves, and round black hats with high stiff brim

standing up all round except over forehead, and rising to peak at back. A curious nail-like orn. seems to project over forehead and runs out behind in point, like large hat-pin. Their faces heavily shaded with dark brown to make-aspect more terrible.

  1. Fifth Judge has only one of female attendants beside him; other stands in front scanning long scroll which man unrolls before her. Behind her stands another man in armour and long trousers carrying hatchet ; but there are no •

condemned souls. To L. spreads out fan-wise series of six black clouds, on which stand representatives of Six Worlds

of Desire, On topmost cloud six-armed god, like six-armed

Avalokite§vara in Ch. i. 0017, etc., holding up discs of Sun and Moon in his upper hands, sword and trident in his lower

hands, and with his middle pair of hands in adoration at his

breast. His flesh is painted black. On second cloud another Bodhisattva, with flesh painted pink, and one pair of hands

in adoration at breast. On third cloud stand man and woman

in Chinese dress representing World of Mankind ; on fourth, horse and two-humped camel representing World of Animals ;

on fifth, fig. clad in white dhôli with red hair and outstretched arms, representing the World of prelas ; on sixth, ox-headed demon stirring with pitchfork contents of boiling cauldron. Cf. also Ch. lviii. 003.

  1. seems to represent one of Hot Hells. It is on different sheet of paper from (ii); R. end has been cut off

before it was joined to roll. It shows part only of high black-walled enclosure, with shut doors'and dogs (?) mounting guard on corner piers. From these also spread flames. Within, a man lies stretched on his back on low couch, eyes closed and arms straight by sides.

(iv), which follows on, without break, to L., shows condemned souls wearing cangue, driven along by ox- and

horse-headed demons who brandish goad and whip. Before them Ksitigarbha, in monk's yellow robe and red mantle, carrying begging-staff over L. shoulder and alms-bowl in R. His face round and childish ; head unhaloed and covered with close-cut black hair.

Drawing spirited, but rough in detail ; colouring limited to coarse shades of red, yellow, green, and grey besides black ;

condition of whole roll very good.   •

8' 2." x I I". PL XCIII and (fig. of Ksitigarbha) Pl. CIII.