painting; 繪畫(Chinese) BM-1919-0101-0.138

Period:Tang dynasty Production date:9thC
Materials:silk, 絲綢 (Chinese),
Technique:painted
Subjects:lokapala devil/demon stupa 天王 (Chinese) 魔鬼/惡魔 (Chinese) 塔 (Chinese)
Dimensions:Height: 50.50 centimetres Width: 17.50 centimetres

Description:
Painting of lokapala Vaisravana, Guardian of the North, standing on a demon and holding a stupa. Blank cartouche at top left. Ink and colour on silk.
IMG


Comments:From Whitfield 2004b, pl. 22’The painting… shows the king (Vaisravana) with a miniature stupor in his right hand and a halberd in his left. Like all Guardian Kings, Vaisravana’s power is indicated not only by his armour, weapons and warrior-like stance, but also by the subjugated demon or yaksa crushed beneath him.’ EnglishFrom Whitfield 1982:Other paintings of Vaisravana, complete with his retinue of attendants, are included in Vol. 2 (Pls. 15, 16). Here he is shown alone in similar fashion to the other guardian kings and is recognizable by the stupa poised above his right hand. He wears sandals and stands upon a supine demon with yellow hair. Below, a small strip remaining from the lozenge border has been incorrectly mounted too close to this figure. Above, a brown cloud can just be seen to have hung above the halo, which, as usual with these figures, is plain green with a darker green edge, against which the upward-floating ribbons of the headdress are displayed to advantage. ChineseFrom Whitfield 1982:有侍者隨從，形象表現完整的多聞天（毘沙門天）像，收錄於第2卷（圖15、16）中。這裏和其他天王像一樣只表現一身，因右手托著寶塔，由此可確定他是多聞天。腳穿涼鞋，踏著仰臥的黃髮鬼。下端是粘貼補著菱形邊飾的斷片，由於裝裱時的失誤，與像的距離過於狹窄。上方頭光之上突出的部分，殘留少許茶色雲。頭光按照此種像的慣例，塗著淡綠色，只是邊緣括以濃綠色。從寶冠上飄起的白色絲帶，清晰地浮現在頭光背景上。