banner; painting; 幡(Chinese); 繪畫(Chinese) BM-1919-0101-0.144

Period:Tang dynasty Production date:851-950 (circa)
Materials:paper, 紙 (Chinese),
Technique:painted
Subjects:buddha bodhisattva 佛 (Chinese) 菩薩 (Chinese)
Dimensions:Height: 42 centimetres Width: 16 centimetres

Description:
Painted banner showing Amitābha Buddha in the triangular headpiece and a standing Avalokiteśvara in the main body. Completely preserved, with tail streamers indicated by ink lines only, and weighting board. Ink and colour on paper.
IMG


Comments:EnglishFrom Whitfield 1983:Like that in Pl. 45, this is a paper banner preserved virtually complete, with the various parts pasted together, but the tail streamers are merely indicated by ink lines instead of being cut into three strips. The weighting board is painted but does not seem to have projected beyond the edges of the streamers. Made of local paper and simply drawn and coloured, it is easy to see banners such as this one as cheaper substitutes serving the same purpose as those on more expensive materials. The excellent state of preservation of this banner and that shown in the previous plate once again raises the possibility of their having been painted in advance and held ready for immediate purchase by the faithful. Figure 82 shows another banner with Avalokitesvara painted in almost the same way, with only minor differences of detail. ChineseFrom Whitfield 1983:與圖45一樣，是紙製的幡，保存完好。幡的幾處已被裱糊在一起，幡腳沒有切成三條，只用墨劃出線。鎮板上有彩畫紋樣，沒有超出幡腳外。使用當地方生産的紙，用簡單的線描和色彩描繪的廉價幡，來替代昂貴材料製作的幡供奉。此圖以及上圖的幡均能基本完好地保存下來，也許是因爲它和預先繪好，爲信奉者購買而準備的功德畫性質相同。Fig.82收錄的幡中，觀音像的姿勢、細部描繪與此圖稍有差距，其餘描繪則與此基本相同。