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

PLATE XI

PAINTED FRAGMENTS FROM KARA-KHÓJA

THE fragments here described were recovered from ruined shrines within the ancient walled town of Idikut-shahri, about one and a half miles from Kara-khója in the Turfan basin.

Kao. II. 02

The ruin from which this example comes is described by Sir Aurel Stein as

`what apparently had been a vaulted cella or passage' built against the inside of the

eastern wall of the town. It was choked with debris to the height of six or seven

feet but `at a height of about three feet from the floor, parts of a fine fresco compo-

sition were recovered'. Although he gives no description of the painting, this is the

only piece from that shrine which came to me and it must be presumed to be the

specimen referred to. As the reproduction shows, it was in an extremely bad state

—shattered and abraded, but in many ways attractive. Reassembling and mount-

ing it was a work of some difficulty and patience, and although the general scheme

is clear the details and colouring need elucidation.

The scheme of the design is intended to show a region of mountains, where pine-

trees flourish and forest fauna make their home. The mountains are represented

by a series of imbricated lozenge shapes, with serrated upper edges, variously

coloured, with pleasing effect. The lower central lozenge is pale green with serra-

tions boldly outlined in dull red. That to the right is white with dull-red edges.

To the left, dark red with darker red edges. The upper central lozenge is the same

as the lower one. The colours repeat vertically red over red, white over white,

and green over green. This results in a regular sequence of change of colours

horizontally and obliquely. In each lobe of the serrations is a small dark spot

which was, originally, a patch of gold leaf.

Each lozenge forms the background to a group of three figures; an enthroned

Bodhisattva, or the Buddha, with an adoring figure kneeling at each side. Two very

incomplete Divinities are visible, one on each of the green lozenges. The upper

one, whose head, neck, and right arm only remain, looks downwards towards a

kneeling figure on his right, to whom he seems to extend his right hand. To the

Buddha's left, a second figure sits in an attitude of devotion, gazing up at him. The

flesh of the Buddha is pale, slightly shaded with grey. The hair is mauve-grey

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