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

third devatá just sits with folded hands, placidly indifferent as to the exact point

under discussion. In fact, both the existing faces look sleepy and rather bored with

the matter they must have so often heard. The heaviness of their eyelids is

accentuated by a black line defining the upper fold. All the attendant devatás have a

decidedly effeminate appearance, although, it will be observed, they have pointed

finger-nails. The Buddha forbade nuns to cultivate long nails, but the order did not

extend to monks or other of the Buddha's male adherents, and devatás may also have

enjoyed the same privilege. But this raises the question of their sex. It would be

rash to hazard determination of sex by the trimming of the nails, especially as we

do not know whether devatás were exempt from the injunction; but when to the

presumptive evidence of the finger-nails is added that of moustache and `imperial',

as worn by the Bodhisattvas in Bez. vii. A—C (plate xxiii), who in every other

particular seem to be as effeminate as any we have seen, we are still left in a

state of uncertainty. It may be that both sexes are represented and that fashion

in dress and other adornments are common to both.

From the small portion remaining we see that the figure on the left had dark,

red-brown, wig-like hair with gold studs. The loin-cloth is pale pink with green

hem, and the skirt dull red. A dark pink stole falls from the fold of the arm and

the upavita is red with a green pleat. The green halo is bordered with pink and

paler pink zones divided by a dark, red-brown line.

Rippling black tresses fall in animated locks across the shoulders of the second

devatá, who wears a loin-cloth like that of the first, over a pale grey-brown skirt.

The stole is red-pink, the upavita green with red-pink pleat. A red halo is surrounded

by green and buff-pink. Of the padmásana only the green seed-table remains.

The third figure has much the same colouring as the second, but has a dark red

upavita, and wears the unusual ear ornaments.

The thin, black contour lines, although rather mechanical and expressionless,

are drawn with considerable freedom and skill.

1

Bez. i. G

This fragment is from the inner end of the south wall of the shrine and depicts

two `repeats' from rows of figures of the Buddha seated in meditation.

Repetition of figures of the Buddha is widely used as a diaper on walls and

ceilings of shrines, not merely for its decorative value but for the spiritual advan-

tages accruing therefrom, as from the offering of prayer. Faith in the constant

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