National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books
|
|
Color Thumbnail -
Table of Contents -
Page Number -
Biliographic Information (Metadata) -
Caption -
Color Image -
Gray HighRes. Image -
Facing Pages -
Graphics -
| 0134 |
On Ancient Central-Asian Tracks : vol.1 |
Citation Information
OCR Text
discovered the remains, unfortunately much damaged, of a
large mural painting hidden behind a later wall. Its lower
frieze represents a scene of homage and offerings presented
to a youthful male of martial bearing, seated in a dignified
pose. The upraised right arm carried a curving mace sur-
mounted by an ox-head. This shape of the mace corre-
sponds exactly to the famous ox-headed gurz carried by
Rustam, the great hero of Persian epic legend, and his
recognized attribute throughout Persian iconography of
Muhammadan times.
There can be no possible doubt that the chief figure in
this mural painting of Koh-i-Khwaja represents Rustam,
whom the Persian national epos as preserved in Firdausi's
Shah-nama distinctly associates with Sistan. A comparison
of his figure with that of the 'Persian Bodhisattva' of the
Dandan-oilik panel enables us now to recognize the head
of Rustam's mace in the object, for the most part effaced,
which crowns the top of the curving handle held in the
upper right arm of that strange Bodhisattva.
But the comparison with the Koh-i-Khwaja fresco helps
us also to understand the significance of the three-headed
demonic figure shown on the opposite side of the Dandan-
oilik panel. For in the fresco we see Rustam faced by a
closely corresponding three-headed personage offering hom-
age with raised hands. In all probability it is meant for one
of those demonic adversaries whom Rustam in popular
legends of Persian epic tradition is represented as having
overcome in hard struggles and triumphantly forced into
loyal submission to his king. Thus the connexion between
the two figures of the Dandan-oilik panel is accounted for.
The wall painting of Koh-i-Khwaja belongs to the late
1
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
13
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
23
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
33
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
45
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
57
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
68
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
79
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
89
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
100
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
111
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
122
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
131
133
134
135
136
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
145
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
157
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
168
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
178
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
189
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
200
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
212
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
225
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
237
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
248
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
259
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
273
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
284
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
295
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
306
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
317
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
327
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
337
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
352
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
364
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
377
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
391
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
406
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
418
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
431
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
442
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
453
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
466
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
477
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
491
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
502
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
513
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
525
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
537
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
550
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
561
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
571
.
.
.
.
|
578
Copyright (C) 2003-2026
National Institute of Informatics
and
The Toyo Bunko. All Rights Reserved.
