drawing; 圖畫(Chinese) BM-1919-0101-0.172

Period:Tang dynasty Production date:851-900 (circa)
Materials:paper, 紙 (Chinese),
Technique:drawn, 手繪的 (Chinese),
Subjects:lotus canopy buddha cintamani 蓮花 (Chinese) 華蓋 (Chinese) 佛 (Chinese) 如意寶 (Chinese)
Dimensions:Height: 75.10 centimetres (Image in mount) Height: 58.70 centimetres (Image) Width: 76.10 centimetres (Image in mount) Width: 59 centimetres (Image)

Description:
Magic diagram with inscriptions in the outermost square, then a square of jewelled emblems, then empty boxes, a square band of flowers with Buddhas in the four corners, and the centre square with a lotus surrounded by a canopy with cintamani (flaming jewels). Drawn in ink on paper. Inscribed.
IMG


Comments:Zwalf 1985This large diagram has a lotus flower, or wheel, at the centre of a square marked with the compass points. North is shown here at the bottom. The surrounding space is filled with fine crossed lines and cryptically marked ‘jin shengjie dao’ (Golden Cord Releasing Way). Around it are deities and Buddhist emblems, including the conch, wheel and ‘vajra’; at the perimeter are water and flowering and fruiting trees. This drawing appears to preserve an early stage of Chinese esoteric Buddhist practice, preceding the developed Vairocana worship from which the Japanese Shingon sect took its ideas in the 9th century. The Getty’s curatorial team suggests the title as Altar Diagram with Annotations.