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

assurance in the matter of his discourse. His straight-set, wide-open eyes and
obstinate mouth indicate concentration on his argument. Of his audience two
persons only are revealed in the fragment. The figure on the right is probably a
person of some consequence judging from the character of his head-dress, but
assumes, with his folded hands, a bearing of reverence and rapt attention. Like the
Teacher, he is barefooted, but has no footstool. Of the other person, the drapery
over the knees and the upraised forearm only are visible. The position of the
fingers, first and fourth upright and the middle two folded down, seems to warn off
any lurking evil influence.
The head-dress of the figure on the right is of a pattern which seems to be pec-
uliar to the Mīrān paintings. It consists of a kind of white, conical pagrī or cap with
horizontal folds or pleats and a close-fitting head-band supporting two (or more)
upstanding semi-lunar red flaps. The faces are of rather Semitic type, with fine
straight-set eyes; arched eyebrows, well separated above the nose; small but thick
black moustache carefully pointed and a thin wavy lock of hair falling in front of
each ear. The hands are strong and broad with the thumb abducted and short finger-
nails. The footstool has 'lion' legs, a type found also in Gandhāra sculptures.
The angular green patches in the foreground are rather confused in drawing, but
perhaps represent some kind of fencing or Buddhist rail.

M. III. 003

Fragment from a picture of the Buddha teaching, attended by six disciples. The
Buddha has his right hand raised with the thumb bent inwards touching the second
joint of the third finger, that is, the eighth joint. This may symbolize the Buddha
expounding 'the eight-fold way' or the eight Pāramitās. The left hand is low,
probably holding up his loose robe, which is of the traditional type. His rather
Semitic face is youthful, with a small but natural moustache, arched eyebrows,
and straight-set, wide-open, speculative eyes. His hair rises into the typical uṣṇīṣa,
and a thin lock hangs in front of the ear. The ears, although large, are not of the
grotesque length generally found in later paintings, and the lobe is pierced with a
very small hole. No ūrṇā is visible on the forehead. The nimbus is a simple disk.
Behind the Buddha are grouped the six clean-shaven disciples, also Semitic in
appearance, their heads arranged in two rows of three each, one above the other;
the nearest to him in the upper row holding a yak-tail chaurī in his raised right hand.
There is a commendable attempt to impart individual character to each of these

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