painting; 繪畫(Chinese) BM-1919-0101-0.57

Period:Tang dynasty Production date:751-800 (circa)
Materials:silk, 絲綢 (Chinese),
Technique:painted
Subjects:buddha bodhisattva lokapala 佛 (Chinese) 菩薩 (Chinese) 天王 (Chinese) 國王/王后 (Chinese) king/queen attendant
Dimensions:Height: 140 centimetres Width: 115.50 centimetres

Description:
Painting illustrating the Vimalakirti Sutra, which tells of the debate between the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī and the layman Vimalakirti. The debate is shown in the middle of the composition, Vimalakirti is in his canopied sickbed on the left, faced by Mañjuśrī on the right. Multitudes listening to their debate include rulers and their attendants, including a Tibetan king. A preaching Buddha, bodhisattvas and four lokapalas (guardian kings) are also present. Ink and colour on silk.
IMG


Comments:EnglishFrom Whitfield 1982:This painting represents one of the subjects that were most popular at Dunhuang, namely the visit of the Bodhisattva Manjusri to the layman Vimalakirti and their ensuing debate, as described in the Vimalakirti-sutra, of which several Chinese translations were available, the most likely one for the present painting being that made by Kumarajiva in A.D.406. There are three illustrations of the Vimalakirti-sutra in the Stein collection: the silk painting here, Stein painting 31*(Vol.2, Pl.53), which shows Manjusri alone, and Stein painting 76, a sketch of a complete composition, but split into several parts (Vol.2,Figs.86-88). Although the wall paintings at Dunhuang, as well as representations at Yungang, Longmen, and so on, testify to the great popularity of the Vimalakirti-sutra in China, there do not appear to be other versions on silk or paper. The painting shown here, although in a fragmentary state, is therefore especially valuable.The majority of illustrations to the sutra (including apparently Stein paintings 31* and 76) are divided into two parts. In most of the wall paintings at Dunhuang, Vimalakirti and Manjusri are placed on either side of the entrance to the cave, where the worshipper would see them as he left. This arrangement doubtless both suited the narrower spaces available on the entrance wall and provided a proper subject for the faithful after contemplation of the paradise scenes on the main walls of the cave. In at least two of the wall paintings (Matsumoto, 1937, Pl.46) and in the present painting, however, the whole subject is presented in a single composition (cf. especially Cave 335, Chugoku Sekkutsu, vl.3, Pl.61).The actual debate between Vimalakirti and Manjusri takes place in the middle of the painting, in front of the red brick wall of the city of Vaisali. Vimalakirti, his head turned towards Manjusri, is on the left, in a roofed and curtained bed. He is seated cross-legged in a relaxed position, his left arm perhaps supported on a rest and holding a fan. Manjusri is seated on a lotus throne under which is a square platform supported by lions (Fig.61). In front these are portrayed, as in Stein painting 31*(Vol.2, Pl.53), in the openings of a wooden stand, but beyond the receding side the lion appears to be outside this framework and standing erect instead of crouching.Below Vimalakirti and Manjusri on either side, as well as the Four Guardian Kings and other Bodhisattvas, are the rulers and their attendants who have come to hear the debate. Those on the left side are more clearly visible, and obviously show a Tibetan king, or btsan-po, and his entourage(Pl.20-2). The king wears a robe with long sleeves and a collar with lapels folded back on either side, revealing several layers. On his head is the fluted turban of a btsan-po. Behind him an attendant holds a parasol, and in front two more, wearing wide turbans and long sleeves and collars trimmed with fur, lead the way. They resemble one of the figures in the scroll showing the contest between Sariputra and Raudraksa, from the Pelliot collection. Comparison can also be made with representations of Tibetan kings in Caves 158 and 159, both dating from the period of Tibetan occupation at Dunhuang (cf. Karmay, 1977). Other figures in the entourage recall the costumes of the foreign envoys in the wall paintings found in the tomb of Li Xian (Prince Zhang Huai) near Xi’an, of the early eighth century (Tang Li Xian mu bihua, Pl.25).At the top of the painting, over the wall of the city of Vaisali, are other scenes connected with different parts of the Vimalakirti-sutra. In the center, accompanied by Bodhisattvas, is the Buddha. In front of him kneel five men, each of them wearing a three-pronged crown (indicating noble or princely birth) and holding a canopy. They represent the five hundred sons of elders who presented precious canopies to the Buddha and Bodhisattvas, as described in the opening chapter of the sutra. On close inspection these are seen to be supported on clouds which issue from the right hand of a small standing figure of Vimalakirti, who is seen at the extreme right and left. Thus they can be identified as some of the miracles performed by Vimalakirti in the course of the debate. At the left these manifestations include Mt. Sumeru, with the sun and moon (Pl.20-3), and three “lion thrones” which descend towards the assembly, representing the thirty-two thousand lion thrones magically provided by Vimalakirti for the assembly. On the right, the three bowls in front of the Buddha assembly indicate the fragrant rice, brought by nine million transcendent Bodhisattvas, again through the agency of Vimalakirti.It is chiefly as an illustration of the sutra that this painting is of interest, since the artist displays no more than mere competence in skill. His range of colours is somewhat limited, and a majority of the figures are seen in identical three-quarter view, with full-fleshed faces and the top-knot of the hair appearing as an almost circular blob (for this feature, cf. also Bannieres, No.20, in the Musee Guimet). With it goes a lack of subtlety in compositional arrangement that is particularly noticeable when figures are seen close together in a large group. ChineseFrom Whitfield 1982:該繪畫是敦煌繪畫中常見的題材之一，即根據《維摩經》，文殊菩薩探望維摩居士，與維摩間辯論的內容。《維摩經》漢文譯本現有數種，該繪畫所據的底本最有可能是鳩摩羅什406年的譯本。斯坦因收集品中《維摩經變相圖》有三件：除了這幅畫外，還有斯坦因繪畫31*（卷2，圖53），僅畫了文殊菩薩，及斯坦因繪畫76，原本很完整的紙本墨畫，但現在已裂為幾片（卷2，Figs. 86－88）。雖然敦煌，以及雲崗和龍門石窟等處壁畫證明《維摩經》在中國的盛行，但在絹畫和紙畫中，沒見到根據其他譯本所描繪的作品。因此，這裏展示的繪畫雖然損傷嚴重，但是非常重要的作品。絕大部分此經變相圖（當然包括斯坦因繪畫31*和76）是分兩個部分。絕大部分的敦煌壁畫中，維摩居士和文殊菩薩一般是處在洞窟入口的左右兩壁。參拜者離開時可以禮拜他們。這種佈置無疑是考慮滿足兩個方面的要求，一是爲了充分利用洞窟入口處的狹小壁面；二是在洞窟主壁畫淨土變之外提供另一種適當的題材供信徒禮拜。像這幅畫一樣在一個畫面上收入了兩個主要部分的，在壁畫中至少知道有兩處（特別是335窟，見《中國石窟•敦煌莫高窟》第3卷，圖61）。實際上，維摩和文殊的辯論是在毘耶離城紅磚城牆前的畫面中央進行的。維摩坐在左側屋頂有帷帳的床上（參照彩色圖版20－2圖），面向文殊，悠然自得地盤腿而坐，左臂憑在几上，手持扇子（拂麈）。文殊則坐在獅子馱著的方形須彌壇上的蓮華座上（Fig.61）。須彌壇前木框裏所繪的獅子，與斯坦因繪畫31*（卷2，圖53）一樣，但後者的獅子是紋絲不動地蹲著，而本圖的獅子卻是站立的姿式，並且稍微地越出了框。維摩和文殊的下方聚集著四天王和衆多菩薩外，還有聞訊趕來聽法的國王及其隨從。左邊的畫清晰可見，顯然顯示的是吐蕃贊普和他的隨從（參見圖20－2）。贊普身著翻領長袖禮服，顯出有很多層。頭戴的帽子似有凹槽的穆斯林頭巾。後面有侍者打著傘，前面有頭裹穆斯林頭巾、身著毛皮領的長袖袍子的兩人做向導。其中一人很像伯希和收集品《勞度叉鬥聖變》畫卷中所出現的人物。也可與有吐蕃佔領時期的敦煌第158窟、159窟壁畫中的吐蕃贊普做比較（參見Karmay,“Tibetan Costumes”，1977）。從隨從們的裝束可想到，西安近郊發現的8世紀初李賢（章懷太子）墓壁畫上的外國使節服裝（參見《唐李賢墓壁畫》圖版25）。畫面上方，毘耶離城的城壁上描繪著《維摩經》其餘章節的場景。中央有菩薩脅侍的如來，其前是跪著的五個男人，頭戴三山冠（表明他們的貴族身份），各自捧著一頂華蓋。據該經第一品的記述，他們是代表五百長者子一起用華蓋供養佛和菩薩。仔細觀察，發現那些上方的諸像乘在雲端上，雲彩是從左右兩端的維摩小立像的右手升起的，這樣可以確認為維摩在進行辯論時出現的祥瑞的一部分。左邊部分是日月伴隨的須彌山（參見圖20－3）和三個向聽眾落下的獅子座，表現的是維摩居士爲聽法衆人用法力提供的三萬二千個獅子座。右方，佛前放著三只盛滿香飯的缽，這也是維摩居士為九百萬傑出菩薩所帶的食物。該畫作爲經變畫，畫家最關心的是對《維摩經》的圖解，而並沒太多考慮技法。採用的顔色非常有限，大部分人物身子側立，面部圓潤，髮髻也幾乎呈圓狀（這種特徵也見於伯希和《敦煌幡畫》，圖20，收藏於集美博物館）。因爲缺乏精妙的構圖安排，特別是看成組的像時，這一點更爲明顯。