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

head-dress with flat top and backward-pointing wings or horns;
for ordinary persons, of top-boots, long belted coat, and
peaked and tailed black cap; for women, of trailing skirt and
wide-sleeved jacket usually tucked into skirt below arms.
Still longer narrow sleeves covering hands sometimes appear
under wide sleeves of jacket in the case both of men and
women, and over jacket occasionally a sleeveless tunic or deep
belt of contrasting colour, covering body from armpits to hips.
See *Ch. 0051. iii and iv; xxxiii. 003. iv, v; lv. 0033. ii, iii.

The women's coiffure varies, but consists sometimes of
plain top-knot (Ch. xxxiii. 003; lvi. 0034), and sometimes of
roll on neck with flat top-knot or lotus-flower orn. on top of
head (Ch. 00216; v. 001). More often, however, hair
gathered on top of head by gold orn., and thence done in
two high stiff loops which curve out behind back of head and
are brought in again at neck (*Ch. 0051; lv. 0033; lv.
0047?). A top-knot sometimes combined with this coiffure,
which seems confined chiefly to side-scenes of Paradise
pictures, and to flower-offering nymph of Ch. 0018, and
of *Ch. lii. 003; and the wife in banner Ch. 00114. The
wide-brimmed black hats of men donors in *Ch. 00102; lviii.
003 (A.D. 963) and kindred pictures, presumably also of tenth
century, and the elaborate head orns. and flowered black
jackets of women donors in same, are never found in these
side-scenes (for an explanation, cf. above, pp. 850 sq.). As in
case of the donors and of the scenes from Gautama's Life in
banners, the men's flesh is painted a uniform flesh-pink
throughout and the women's white with red cheeks.

Ch. 0051. The presiding Buddha has R. hand in vitarka-
mudrā, L. hand lying in lap. Two chief Bodhisattvas sit in
'Enchanter's Pose', with one leg pendent and one bent; the
one on L. with R. hand before breast, thumb, second and third
fingers joined, and L. hand erect on knee with three fingers
extended as if in blessing; the one on R. has R. hand in
vitarka-mudrā, L. hand on knee in bhūmisparśa-mudrā.
Between each of them and the Buddha sits a youthful
disciple(?), in under-robe, mantle, and necklace, with black
hair short over his head but falling in Bodhisattva-like locks
behind his shoulders. The robes and orns. of all Bodhi-
sattvas are of 'Indian' type descr. in Ch. lv. 0014, with
narrow scarves only across breast and narrow stoles leaving
most of body and arms bare.

The musicians' dress the same, but their features are here
of masculine type, their expression realistic, and their hair like
that of disciples on either side of Buddha. Dancer completely
attired in crimson robe reaching from elbows to ankles, with
copper-green girdle and elbow frills, orange under-sleeves,
and bronze-bound orange collar. The musicians play on
clappers, pipe, flute, and reed-organ (or wu, teapot-shape) all
of same type as in *Ch. lii. 003 (see also Miss Schlesinger's
note, App. H). Of the Buddhas in bottom corners only head
and shoulders remain, and of lake only small part, in which
seated are orange lotuses, but no infinite.

Workmanship good, and colour in good condition. It
consists chiefly of usual crimson and dull green, with some
blue on altar and stoles and robes of side-scenes, and is
enlivened by plentiful copper-green on trees, haloes, and

ornamental vesicas and Padmāsanas of central trio; but the
latter much worn. Floor of main terrace dull brown; no
black except in hair of minor figs. (In this case hair of
central triad light blue, painted over light green which now
alone remains; their eyes oblique with thickly painted whites;
their flesh yellow shaded with red. Flesh of other figs. white
shaded with pink.)

Side-scenes (cf. inscribed series in Ch. 00216) represent on
R. legend of Ajātaśatru, on L. meditations of Queen Vaidehi,
and run as follows:

On R., (i) Buddha appearing to Vaidehi as she is walking;
(ii) Vaidehi throwing herself down before the Buddha, who
again appears seated on Padmāsana; garlanded tree in back-
ground;
(iii) Ajātaśatru pursuing his mother with sword; Candra-
prabha, minister, and Jīva, physician, in foreground, carrying
rolls of paper, and ready to intervene;
(iv) Vaidehi visiting Bimbisāra in prison, and bringing him
a lotus (representing prob. garland from which, according to
the legend, she produced him drink);
(v) Ajātaśatru(?) on horseback, accompanied by a foot-
servant with club, meets a yellow-coated man who bows pro-
foundly to him. Cf. Ch. liii. 003. iv; lv. 0033. vi; lv. 0047.
vii; lvi. 0034. vii;
(vi) Mostly destroyed; but shows part of pavilion with
Ajātaśatru seated inside.

On L., Vaidehi meditating on Sukhāvatī. As in whole
series of these scenes, she is kneeling on mat with hands in
adoration before object representing her thoughts, and is
placed alternately on R. or L. to break monotony of scenes.
Those preserved here show: (vii) perhaps a canopy; (viii)
water (as ice?)—a square of white within a brown border;
(ix) the Jewel-tree, a clump of conventional star-leaved red-
flowering trees rising from a tank; (x) the Mansions of
Sukhāvatī, a small hexagonal pagoda on pedestal; (xi) the
Ground of Sukhāvatī(?), a square of copper-green, bordered
and divided into four by bands of dark brown. In each sub-
division an irregular black cross-mark as in Ch. lv. 0033. xi, etc;
(xii) the Flowery Throne, a stepped throne or pedestal, with
lotus base, and flaming jewel on top; (xiii), (xiv) the Buddha
Amitābha (or Amitāyus), seated in meditation on Padmāsana;
(xv) and (xvi) the Bodhisattvas, presumably Avalokiteśvara
and Mahāsthāma, seated on Padmāsanas. 3′ 3″ × 3′ 8″.

*Ch. 005a. Linen painting showing standing fig. of
Avalokiteśvara (Kuan-yin) approaching life-size. Painting
on strip of coarse natural-coloured linen, with border and
suspension loops of blue linen.

In size, shape, and subject typical of large number of linen
paintings; others being Ch. 00125-00130; iii. 0011; xxi.
005; xxi. 007-8; xxxiv. 005; xlvi. 0011. a, and lv. 0035.
All represent single fig. of Avalok., almost life-size, standing
Padmāsana facing spectator, with emblems in hands, and
circular halo and canopy above. Most of figs. follow Indian
tradition in physical type and dress as well as in stiffness of
pose; but one or two (Ch. 00128, lv. 0035) are in 'Chinese
Buddhist' style of *Ch. 002, etc. Several have Chinese donors
at bottom. A few of figs. are six-armed and eleven-headed,