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

holding both its hands up with the palms to itself. A little to
back stand two larger figs. with hands in adoration. They
wear red under-robes and blue-edged red coats of the pre-
ceding scene. Coiffure of one lost; hair of other seems to
be done in backward-falling top-knot. Behind, a tree.
Scene 3. Of this only the jewelled flat top of a throne or
canopy remains in R. top corner.
Style of work poor as in Ch. lv. 0021.
1′ 6⅜″ × 7″ (7⅝″ when complete).

Ch. lv. 0023. Large dated silk painting with Chin.
inscr., representing Samantabhadra, Mañjuśrī, and Four
forms of Avalokiteśvara, with attendants and donors. Date
given by inscr. A.D. 864. Complete with orig. border of
fawn-coloured silk, and in good condition.
Upper half of picture occupied by four figs. of Avalok.
standing side by side, face to spectator, and carrying each
a red or red and white lotus and flask (except in case of
Avalok. on extreme L., who has not the latter).
Dress a long reddish-pink under-robe girt round waist and
reaching to feet, with short tight over-fall or upper skirt, and
girdle as in *Ch. 001, etc. Over breast and shoulders
a deep plastron painted in plain red and blue or red and
green with metal border, and ending at line of necklace on
neck. Close-fitting sleeves, half covered by armlets, on
upper arm; and in three cases metal-orn. guards on forearm
like those of Lokapālas in banners. Pink drapery behind
shoulders, narrow stoles, and tiaras with Dhyāni-buddhas are
all of 'Indian' Bodhisattva style (see *Ch. lv. 0014), to which
their coiffure also corresponds.
In lower half Samantabhadra (L.) and Mañjuśrī (R.)
advance towards each other, seated cross-legged on white
elephant and lion resp. The latter are like those of
banners (see Ch. 0023; xx. 001), and are led by Indian
attendants of similar type. S. has R. hand in vitarka-mudrā,
L. raised horizontally with fingers in similar pose; M. has
hands at breast in adoration; each accompanied by two
Bodhisattvas carrying three-tiered umbrellas. Dress, orns.,
coiffure, and physical type of all these are of 'Chinese
Buddhist' type as in *Ch. 002, etc. Canopies, Padmāsanas,
haloes, and vesicas are of types seen in large Paradise pictures
(e.g. *Ch. lii. 003), haloes and vesicas all being circular and
covered with ray or petal orn. of kinds therein described.
The donors consist of one monk and three men in secular
dress kneeling on R., and two nuns and two ladies on L.
Dress of monks and nuns is same as in Ch. xx. 005; that of
non-religious persons agrees in general type with the tenth-
century dress of *Ch. 00102; lviii. 003, etc., but differs in
colour and characteristic details. The men wear long
belted dark brown coats (under-skirts not visible), and in two
instances the wide-brimmed black hat of Ch. 00102. The
third wears stiff black cap, rising up and backwards in
a double peak. The women wear long skirts, jackets, and
stoles much as in Ch. 00102; but skirts and stoles coloured
light buff and jackets yellow; sleeves of latter of very
moderate width, hanging hardly below waist. They wear,
moreover, no orns., and only plain band round hair. This
in one case is done in flat mushroom-shaped top-knot, and in

other in large rippling backward-waving top-knot like the
dancing woman's in banner Ch. xlir. 003. In these respects
the donors' attire corresponds to that in Ch. xx. 005 (A.D.
891); xxxviii. 004; liv. 004; cf. above, p. 885, note 10.
For inscr.—consisting of one short line by each of the
Avaloks., Samantabhadra, and Mañjuśrī; dedication, 4 ll.,
incomplete, in centre below; and one line before each donor
—see Petrucci, Appendix Æ, II.
The composition as a whole has a somewhat stiff cramped
air; disjointed repetition of figs. in upper half recalls the
prob. early paintings Ch. xxii. 0017, 003. Apart from
hieratic 'Indian' tradition preserved in all chief deities and
especially in dress and treatment of figs. of Avalok., details
and workmanship throughout in 'Chinese Buddhist' style of
*Ch. 002, 003, etc. It is clear from sureness and finish of
style that the conventions it follows were already well estab-
lished, though the atmosphere and line which characterize
other (and prob. later) representations of this subject are
entirely lacking; cf. Ch. xxxvii. 004, 003-5.
Colour in good condition, and consists almost wholly of
light reddish pink, soft blue, white, and dark green on
brownish grey of silk.
Painting 4′ 5″ × 2′ 10½″, with border 4′ 7⅜″ × 3′ 2⅛″.
Thousand Buddhas, Pl. XVI; Desert Cathay, ii. Pl. VIII.

Ch. lv. 0024. Large painting on close-woven
linen, in purely Tibetan style, representing Avalokiteśvara
seated, with small Bodhisattvas and Eight Sacred Emblems.
No border; practically complete, but painting almost effaced.
Colours applied over coat of white as in other Tibetan
painting Ch. lii. 001; but here evidently light in tone, only
traces of rosy red, yellow, and dull green preserved. Emblems
and Bodhisattvas round edge have been redrawn over
similar small seated Bodhisattvas, and small figs. attendant
on Avalok. in centre have been painted over with foliage and
long-tailed flying birds now almost destroyed.
Oblong central panel, framed by border of Vajras, contains
large Avalok. seated in 'royal ease'. Type of fig., dress,
jewels, and Padmāsana as in Ch. 00121; pose same but
reversed, i.e. L. knee is raised and L. hand hanging over it
holds rosary. Circular vesica, narrow horseshoe halo, black
ringlets on shoulder, pearl-hung jewellery, and canopy;
details of head and features effaced. In corners above two
small seated Bodhisattvas, and below Bodhisattva and
conventional lion seated on either side of vase with flowers;
but painted over as above described.
Round edge are placed alternately on lotuses, the Eight
Sacred Emblems and small seated Bodhisattvas, with
Dhyāni-buddha immediately above Avalok. Of Emblems
are traceable only Wheel, Vase, Vajra (?), Canopy, and Fish;
the lower on R. side being effaced, and those along bottom
painted over like figs. in middle.
Cf. other seated Avaloks. under Ch. 00121. 4′ × 2′ 9″.

Ch. lv. 0025. Fr. of painted silk banner; upper end,
showing tasselled canopy, surmounted by flaming jewels.
Dull yellow, green, and red on buff background.
7″ × 5⅛″.