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

R. hand is in *vitarka-mudrā* ; L. before breast, palm upper-
most, thumb, second and third fingers joined. His hair is
black ; his flesh a coarse yellow shaded with red ; eyebrows
and small moustache and imperial, green over black ; black
outlines red, but strengthened with black at face and neck.
Eyes slightly oblique, with downcast lids giving narrow effect,
but a particularly large eye-socket is indicated by semi-
circular lines round inner angle. Mahāsthāma has both
hands in *vitarka-mudrā*, while Avalokiteśvara has L. hand
in *vitarka-mudrā* and carries flask in pendent R. hand.
Their hair is black ; their flesh seems to have been white
or pink, but colour entirely gone ; their figs., dress, and
jewellery are of the 'Indian' variety as in Ch. lv. 0014.
Jewellery painted dark crimson, draperies entirely salmon-
red or dark olive. Haloes of all three circular, painted in
variegated rings of grey, crimson, or green ; canopies of
usual tasselled and jewelled kind as in *Ch. 001*, etc.
Work rough, and colouring dingy, even apart from its
discolouration. 2′ 4⅜″ × 1′ 10″.

Ch. 0068. Fr. of large silk painting representing
*Paradise of Amitābha or Śākyamuni*, of same type as
*Ch. 0051*, etc. L. side only of central Buddha with L. hand
in *vitarka-mudrā*, end of altar, and parts of four attendants
preserved. Three of latter are Bodhisattvas, fourth a male
disciple without tiara or top-knot ; all correspond to similar
figs. in *Ch. 0051*. Part of Paradise buildings, and of palm (?)
and willow (?) trees remain above. Colouring chiefly crimson
and dull green, with orange, dark pink, and pale blue on
haloes and vesica ; considerably faded. 1′ 10″ × 9″.

Ch. 0069. L. half of silk painting representing,
when complete, *Vaiśravaṇa* and two attendants. L. side
preserved with fig. of one attendant intact and upper two-
thirds of Vaiśravaṇa. Border lost, but remains of painting
in fair condition though cracked.
Both figs. are standing—Vaiśravaṇa facing spectator, with
R. hand at shoulder grasping staff of halberd with two-spiked
head and red pennon. Dress that of Lokapālas of banners
(see *Ch. 0010, General Note*) and especially resembling that
of Ch. lv. 005, but armour scales not marked. Flaps over
hips are of tiger-skin ; and doublet ends on upper arm in
mask of horned monster, through whose open mouth the arm
passes. Small sword hangs slanting across legs. Face not
grotesque, except for large irregularly shaped eyes, and eye-
brows conventionally frowning.
Attendant carries mongoose by neck with R. hand, and
flaming jewel with L. (This is the only painting of Vaiśra-
vaṇa in Collection in which the mongoose is found.) His
body and limbs bare except for short red *dhōtī* tied round
hips with girdle and falling loosely about knees. His head
and shoulders covered by tiger-skin, open jaws of which
frame his forehead, while the fore-legs are knotted under his
chin and the tail appears about his feet. He stands on heaped
rolls of coins—an attribute of Vaiśravaṇa : Kubera as God
of Wealth. 2′ 5″ × (incomplete) 1′.

Ch. 0070. a-q. Seventeen wooden weighting-
boards for banners, one retaining streamer. Twelve
painted with various kinds of rosettes, or lotus-flower and leaf
design in black, dark green, dark red, and orange ; two
painted with kind of enclosed palmette design ; two have
lower half carved in relief to represent outspread lotus with
double row of upstanding petals and single row of down-
turned petals. These painted in same colours as above, with
stamens in yellow upon uncarved upper half. One of plain
wood. Most of boards show method of attaching streamers,
the ends of which are turned over bamboo slip and gummed
into narrow groove along board's upper edge. Average
length 7⅛″ to 8¼″ (lower edge) × 1⅜″ ; gr. board 10⅜″ to 11⅜″
(lower edge) × 1⅜″.

Ch. 0071. Remains of painted silk banner, with
Chin. inscr., much broken but colour exceptionally fresh ; all
accessories lost.
Subject : *Scenes from Life of Buddha* ; Chinese in style,
parts of three preserved. Inscr. on continuous cartouche
down L. side, almost entirely broken away.
Scene 1. *Farewell or Departure of Chandaka* (?). Only fig.
remaining that of Prince, seated on R., dress and coiffure as
in scenes (1) and (2) of Ch. lxi. 002. This and look of
distress suggest above identification.
Scene 2. *Pursuit of Śuddhodhana's messengers* ; replica
of scene (3) of Ch. lxi. 002, but inferior in execution.
Scene 3. *The First Sermon* (?). Identification uncertain.
Śākyamuni in Buddha robes, with halo and vesica and gilded
flesh, is seated on lotus upon chased and gilded throne. Over
him a draped canopy hanging on group of red-flowering star-
leaved trees, found in same position in Paradise pictures.
Behind throne stand three brown-robed monks with shaven
heads. In front kneel the audience, three men (?) with high
top-knots and gay parti-coloured jackets and long under-robes
of crimson, green, blue, brown, and white. They kneel
listening intently with their faces raised. [Buddha's Z. hand
is here raised, and his L. shoulder covered by the under-robe,
through a mistake by the artist as to which was the right side
of the banner or tracing. The inscription and the most
finished painting are here on wrong side, if Indian tradition
as to attitude is observed.]
Below a disjointed fr. showing group of men in belted
coats and tailed caps, standing ; but their connexion with the
other scenes cannot be determined.
Drawing inferior to that of Ch. lxi. 002 ; colouring gay,
ornate, and carefully applied in 'illuminating' style ; cf. Ch.
00216, etc.
For other representations of Departure of Chandaka, and
Pursuit of Śuddhodhana's Messengers, see references under
Ch. lxi. 002 ; for the First Sermon, perhaps scene (2) of
Ch. xxvii. 001 and (2) of Ch. xlvi. 004, cf. also above, p. 859.
Gr. fr. c 1′ 1″ × 6¾″. *Thousand Buddhas*, Pl. XII.

Ch. 0072. Upper end of banner, made of thin buff
silk, unpainted, and retaining triangular head-piece. The
latter of fine buff silk damask, woven in small lozenge pattern
and bound with plain buff silk. On it is painted Buddha
seated in meditation on red lotus, three-lobed halo behind.
Simple style.
Length of whole 10⅜″, width of banner 6¼″.