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

Sākyamuni appearing to Bimbisāra in imprisonment and
bringing him bowl of rice ; (vii) almost destroyed ; but shows
traces of Ajātaśatru on horseback meeting two men (incom-
plete) ; cf. *Ch. 0051. scene v, etc. ; (viii) destroyed.
On L. is Queen Vaidehī meditating on Sukhāvatī, as
follows : (ix) on setting Sun (amongst mountains) and
running Water ; (x) on Water, as ice (?) ; a pond with
irregular outline painted white and with white ball in middle ;
(xi) on the Buddha (Amitāyus) ; (xii) on Avalokiteśvara or
Mahāsthāma ; (xiii) on the Buddha (Amitāyus) ; representa-
tion same as in xi ; (xiv) on Flowery Throne (?), mostly
destroyed ; (xv) on blue lotus bud, prob. symbol of rebirth,
mostly destroyed ; (xvi) on blue lotus bud ; same as
preceding ; (xvii) on Water, perhaps as ice ; pond of
irregular outline as in x with black starfish-like marks on
white ; (xvii) on Water, or the Ground of Sukhāvatī ;
a grey sq. within chequered border ; (xix) on Lake of Eight
Virtues ; a tank subdivided into eight ; (xx) on Ground of
Sukhāvatī (?) ; a low rectang. block divided into chequered
cubes ; (xxi) on the Jewel-tree ; (xxii) on pavilion, repre-
senting Mansions of Sukhāvatī ; (xxiii) on jewelled canopy.
All side-scenes, buildings, costumes, and accessories in
Chinese style as in *Ch. 0051. 5′ 10″ × 3′ 10″.

Ch. lvii. 001. Silk painting with Chin. inscr., repre-
senting Four-armed Avalokiteśvara, seated, with attendants,
side-scenes, and donors. Complete except for border, and
in good condition.
Avalok. sits on lotus raised on wide hexagonal pedestal ;
R. leg bent across, L. pendent and foot supported on small
lotus. Upper arms raised with hands turned inwards
supporting symbols of Sun and Moon (Sun with bird, two-
legged, on L. hand ; Moon with conventional tree only, on
R.) ; lower R. hand at breast in vitarka-mudrā with willow
spray between finger and thumb ; lower L. hand on knee
carrying flask. Dhyāni-buddha in trilobate setting on front
of tiara.
Dress and fig. of 'Indian' type ; for former see *Ch. 00102 ;
*lv. 0014. Shoulders extremely broad and waist thin ; face
square with straight eyes ; hair light blue spread over
shoulders ; jewellery hung with numerous chains of blue and
green jewels. Circular halo and vesica of plain concentric
rings of different colours ; canopy of conventional flower
spray hung with jewelled chains ; altar in form of flat rock
carrying dish of flowers.
On either side of pedestal stand two young attendants,
unhaloed, in Chin. official dress, holding rolls of paper ; hair
parted and done in roll on neck with ribbon binding it as in
girl donor of Ch. xxxvi. 001 ; prob. represent the Good and
the Evil Genius as in Ch. lvii. 004, where identity is
established by inscriptions.
Side-scenes in secular Chinese style show the 'Calamities'
from which Avalok. preserves his worshipper. Above on R. :
(i) bound man kneeling, while another holds him by hair and
executioner swings sword to cut off his head ; (ii) man
surrounded by flame being pushed by another over bank into
water—the 'fire' and 'water' perils run into one ; (iii) man
pursued by warrior with lance. On L., above : (iv) two

men fleeing from thunderstorm represented by Thunder
dragon in circle of drums ; (v) man standing surrounded by
scorpions and snake ; (vi) man standing while large leopard
rears upon him, biting at his head. The two last make no
attempt to protect themselves.
Donors at lower end consist of two men kneeling on R.,
and woman on L. ; tenth-century dress of same type as in
*Ch. 00102. Man in front shown blind on L. eye.
Narrow cartouches placed before donors retain inscrs. ; cf.
Petrucci, Appendix E, II. Panel in centre foreground for
dedicatory inscr., and eight cartouches attached to side-scenes
and attendants uninscr.
Colouring light and well preserved, consisting chiefly of
bright red and light ultramarine blue, with smaller quantity
of green and yellow, on greenish-grey background.
Cf. especially Ch. lvii. 004, and (for side-scenes) Ch. xl.
008 and Paradise pictures *Ch. lii. 003 ; liii. 002 ; also seated
Avaloks. under *Ch. 00102 and 00167. 2′ 10″ × 1′ 9″.
Pl. LXVIII.

Ch. lvii. 002. Silk painting with Chin. inscr., repre-
senting Avalokiteśvara (Kuan-yin) as Guide of Souls, with
follower. Complete and in excellent condition ; mounted as
Kakemono on brown silk with suspension loops at top, but
this mount now replaced.
Avalok. stands ¾ L., turning head and gaze back over
L. shoulder ; both arms bent up from elbows, R. hand
carrying smoking censer, L. naturalistic spray of pink lotus
and waving white banner with streamers and triangular top,
like banners in Collection. Trailing dress, coiffure, and
type of features as in *Ch. 001 class of Bodhisattvas ; hair
black ; flesh white, shaded and outlined with pink ; eyebrows,
small moustache and imperial bright green over black ; very
small oblique eyes, black. Tiara elaborately orn. with
crimson, blue, and pink lotuses, and tassels and borders of
robes with bright rosette patterns. Circular halo painted in
outline only, with outer peaked border of flame ; no Dhyāni-
buddha, vesica, or canopy.
Attendant soul on smaller scale stands behind, in guise of
Chinese woman with head bowed and hands muffled in wide
sleeves on breast. Dress : under-robe with trailing skirt ;
¾-length over-jacket with voluminous sleeves, and narrow
stole drawn over elbows. Fig. unlike tenth-century type of
*Ch. 00102, etc., in brilliant colouring of dress and in absence
of metal head-dress and pins. Hair seems to be gathered
up from back of head and done high and full above forehead
as if over frame, a crimson ribbon apparently keeping front
erection in place. It is powdered with gilt stars and other
orns., but these are flat and evidently quite light.
Both figs. stand on purple cloud. This sweeps up behind
them to top of picture, carrying eye to Paradise to which
Avalok. leads his worshippers—a Chinese mansion resting
on clouds in L. top corner. In R. upper corner is car-
touche, with three chars. only at bottom conveying Bodhi-
sattva's epithet ; traces of others (incomplete) on edge.
Picture entirely free of Indian tradition, and in spacing and
proportions of great grace and dignity. Colouring soft but
bright, consisting chiefly of white, pink, vivid crimson,