banner; painting; 幡(Chinese); 繪畫(Chinese) BM-1919-0101-0.155

Period:Tang dynasty Production date:851-950 (circa)
Materials:hemp, 麻 (Chinese),
Technique:painted
Subjects:buddha bodhisattva 佛 (Chinese) 菩薩 (Chinese)
Dimensions:Height: 225 centimetres Width: 32 centimetres

Description:
A well-preserved banner with Amitābha in the triangular headpiece and the standing figure of Avalokiteśvara in the main body. Two tail streamers complete with weighting board. Inscription in cartouche. Ink and colour on hemp.
IMG


Comments:EnglishFrom Whitfield 1983:The Bodhisattva is labeled “Praise to the Bodhisattva who prolongs life”南无延受 (for 壽) 命菩薩 and is manifestly Avalokitesvara by reason of the parent figure of Amitabha in the headpiece above.For the most part, the banners of hemp cloth, being of a coarser material, are more simply made and have survived rather better than those of silk. Often no stiffeners were needed and the cut edges of the material did not always need binding. The style of painting here reflects this coarseness, but the principles of construction and the decorative scheme remain the same as in banners of silk, with a band of lozenges with florets at the bottom and a rudimentary painted canopy at the top. Exceptionally, this banner is preserved complete with its painted wooden weighting board (see Fig. 61). Several other hemp cloth banners are in the collection (Figs. 65-73), as are some single representations of Avalokitesvara, plain rectangles of cloth without borders, headpieces or streamers (Figs. 58, 62-64). The same material was used for a simple tenth century Paradise of Bhaisajyaguru (Fig. 57) and for a painted canopy (Fig. 77). ChineseFrom Whitfield 1983:從長方形榜題記錄的“南無延受（壽）命菩薩”，以及在幡頭描繪的阿彌陀佛看，此幡中的菩薩顯然是觀音。絕大部分的麻布幡質地比較粗劣，製作相對簡單，然而保存狀態卻更好。芯常常被省略，布底有裁剪的痕迹，沒有鎖邊。此圖的幡中繪畫製作也比較粗糙，但其基本結構和裝飾圖案與絹幡毫無二致，底部是加了小花的相連的菱形帶紋樣，上部是原始的華蓋。此幡還完好無損地保留了繪有花紋的木制鎮板（參照Fig.61）。斯坦因收集品中，除此以外，還保存了幾件繪有觀音菩薩獨立畫像的長方形麻布幡（參照圖65-73），沒有邊和幡頭、幡腳等（參照Fig.58、62～64）。同樣繪在麻布上的，還可舉出10世紀簡單的《藥師淨土圖》（參照Fig.57）、華蓋圖（參照Fig.77）等。