painting; 繪畫(Chinese) BM-1919-0101-0.137

Period:Tang dynasty Production date:9thC
Materials:silk, 絲綢 (Chinese),
Technique:painted
Subjects:bodhisattva lotus arms/armour 菩薩 (Chinese) 蓮花 (Chinese) 武器/盔甲 (Chinese)
Dimensions:Height: 39.50 centimetres Width: 14.50 centimetres

Description:
Painting of Mañjuśrī standing on a lotus, holding a sword. The painting has some Tibetan stylistic features, but the unfilled cartouche, top right, and floral border at bottom are Chinese elements. Ink and colour on silk.
IMG


Comments:EnglishFrom Whitfield 1982:According to Jin Weinuo (personal communication), this painting can be dated by such features as the disposition of the feet and the sword, characteristic of Esoteric Buddhism, to the period of Tibetan domination at Dunhuang. Its affinities with the group of banners already described and thought to be related to the art of Khotan (Pls. 46-48) are evident. The Bodhisattva wears a similar kind of three-pointed tiara, with a high chignon of hair and thick ringlets falling on the shoulders. The sacrificial thread is heavily dotted with opaque white. In the construction the warp threads run across the banner instead of vertically. Nevertheless, unlike the banners of Pls. 46-48, the weave is the more open one typical of most of the Chinese paintings from Dunhuang, with the warp threads grouped in pairs. Similarly, some elements in the presentation appear close to the banners in Chinese style: the presence of an unfilled cartouche, the borders painted brown, and the lozenge border with individual flowers. A similar painting of Mañjusrī is New Delhi (Waley, 1931, p.298). ChineseFrom Whitfield 1982:據金維諾先生個人的觀點（私下交流），根據腳的位置以及具有密教特色的劍的描繪等來看，此像是吐蕃佔領時期的敦煌繪畫。也明顯與前述與于闐美術有關連的一組幡畫（圖46-48）類似。文殊菩薩頭戴類似通天冠的冠，發結高高聳起，濃厚的卷髮垂落在兩肩上。瓔珞上嵌滿密密麻麻的白點。本畫絹布使用的經線為橫向而非縱向，但質地與圖46-48不同，基本與以敦煌的中國式繪畫的幡相同，織紋粗大，使用兩股經線。同樣，空的長方形榜題、焦茶色的邊緣、下端菱形中各配一朵花的邊飾等，表現方法的若干因素，極接近中國風格的幡。 類似的文殊菩薩像在新德里國立博物館也有收藏（參照Waley《敦煌畫目錄》298頁）。