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

PLATE XII

PAINTINGS FROM BEZEKLIK

Bez. i. A—D

16L. s the plan shows, this fragment comes from the back of the partially destroyed statue-base standing in the cella. It represents part of a canopy and Bodhi tree, with a group of devatás looking towards it The supporting frame of the canopy is the dark red-brown band with yellow

edges and studs, with terminal fleur-de-lis palmettes at the ends. Above the band

is a group of three bell-shaped, striated domes, doubtless representing jewels, each

surmounted by a flame finial. From the lower edge of the frame hangs an ela-

borate valance consisting of a double row of V-shape tabs in front of a narrow

band of grey and white vertical stripes edged with silver guttae. Behind these are

draped two rich red festooned cloths edged with larger guttae; and in front of each

cloth hangs a festooned golden band carrying at its centre a large golden boss or

rosette with four small ball-jewels disposed round it. At each of the upper ends of

the gold bands is a pale-green ball-jewel and a pair of jewels lies midway between.

From the fleur-de-lis terminals of the canopy band depend tassel-shaped pleats

of cloth, each with a central pleat composed of imbricated V-shape tabs of many

colours. A similar pleat hangs in the centre. Growing from below is a tree bearing

great daisy-like whorls of long green leaves with pink peony centres, which partly

encircle the canopy. A frieze of festooned red cloth with pleats and bows, and

trimmed with silver guttae, is arranged along the top. All this complicated

arrangement of drapery represents similar adornments in actual materials used

in Buddhist shrines. Considerable remains of such hangings were found by Sir

Aurei Stein in one of the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas.' They are mostly of

silk, and the little guttae are real silver. It is probable that the materials were used

to drape a real baldachino, erected over the cult statue that stood in most of the

shrines, and that the painting is just a pictorial presentation of such drapery.

Below the frieze the devatás are grouped in rows of two each. Whether in this

plate they are standing or sitting, as in Bez. i. H, I, plate xiii, or kneeling, as in

Bez. i. M, N, is not clear, but they all seem devout and attentive to the discourse

presumably being delivered by the Teacher (missing). Variety is given to the

figures by differences in complexion, coiffure, and nimbus. All but one wear hand-

I See Serindia, vol. iv, plates cix, cx.

52