国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト
『東洋文庫所蔵』貴重書デジタルアーカイブ

The Buddha presiding over this assemblage, whose seated figure our Plate shows in its
upper right corner, is taken by M. Petrucci for Bhaisajyaguru, and the similarity in pose and
accessories to the central Buddha of the previously discussed picture seems to support this
identification. Unfortunately the inscription in Chinese and Tibetan which occupies the
large yellow cartouche in the centre and might have afforded safe guidance has faded into
illegibility. On either side of this central Buddha is seen a Bodhisattva, seated with one leg
pendent and with the hand nearest to the Buddha raised, like the right of the latter himself,
in the vitarka-mudrā, the gesture of argument. In pose, dress, and treatment of features
these two seated Bodhisattvas bear a distinctly Indian air, and this would well agree with
the identification proposed for them by M. Petrucci, who on the strength of inscriptional
indications in a simplified Mandala of Bhaisajyaguru is prepared to recognize Samantabhadra
in the Bodhisattva to the left and his usual counterpart Mañjuśrī in the corresponding seated
Bodhisattva to the right.¹ Between the presiding Buddha and the Bodhisattva on either side
are grouped three lesser Bodhisattvas in adoring poses and two haloed monkish disciples.
The heads of the latter, one young, the other old and emaciated, are drawn with much expres-
sive skill. The same is the case with the faces of most of the Bodhisattvas, though the great
difficulties which the painting offers to photography do not allow the extreme delicacy of the
drawing to be fully appreciated in the reproduction.

While the grouping and treatment of the divine personalities so far named follow well-
established lines, a striking feature, met with again only once among our ' Mandala ' paintings,
is introduced by the two processions which descend, carried on purple clouds, from either
side towards the centre of the picture. On the left our Plate shows us the Bodhisattva Sam-
antabhadra seated on a lotus which a white elephant, his recognized vāhana, carries, as he
advances accompanied by Bodhisattvas and preceded by heavenly musicians to meet Mañjuśrī.
The latter Bodhisattva appears in the corresponding right-hand portion of the picture seated
on his lion and escorted by an exactly similar cortège.

Apart from six figures of undetermined lesser Bodhisattvas, some of whom carry sacred
vessels, the cortège of either comprises four youthful musicians playing on clappers, pipe,
flute, and mouth-organ. In front of them marches a dark-coloured boy, undoubtedly
meant for an Indian, carrying a bronze vessel, while another strides by the side of the chief
Bodhisattva, leading his mount. The exaggerated dark colour of these Indians is, like the
misdrawing of the elephant's head and limbs, significant of the painter's want of familiarity
with things Indian. In the background two of the Lokapālas, or Guardian-kings of the
Four Quarters, attend the train of each divinity. About the fluttering canopy which rises
above the head of each float gracefully drawn Gandharvis (Apsaras). From the side there
sweeps down a bevy of tiny Bodhisattva figures clustered within a wreath of purple cloud,
while above it a group of picturesque hills, drawn with true Chinese feeling for landscape,
fills the top corner.

Throughout the picture the workmanship is that of a master, and the serene dignity of
the composition as a whole is very happily blended with tenderness of mood and harmonious
subtlety of line and colour.

PLATES IV, V

PROCESSIONS OF MAÑJUŚRĪ AND SAMANTABHADRA

Closely allied in subject and treatment to the last described picture, though not quite
equal to it in quality of execution, are the two grand fragments (Ch. xxxvii. 003, 005) partially
illustrated by Plates iv and v. These two large pieces of silk with curved tops once belonged
respectively to the right and left sides of one arch-shaped picture. The centre portion, which
is likely to have contained a seated Buddha, is lost. But some idea of the size of the whole