votive panel; 木板畫(Chinese) BM-1907-1111.72

Period:Unknown Production date:6thC (Whitfield 1985)
Materials:wood, 木 (Chinese),
Technique:painted
Subjects:sun/moon buddha bodhisattva vajra vessel 日/月 (Chinese) 佛 (Chinese) 菩薩 (Chinese) 神 (Chinese) 金剛 (Chinese) 器皿 (Chinese) arms/armour buddhist deity
Dimensions:Height: 10.20 centimetres Width: 25.80 centimetres Depth: 0.80 centimetres

Description:
Rectangular votive panel painted on both sides. One side shows three seated figures, each one against a large round haloe. The figure on the left holds a vajra (thunderbolt) in his right hand, while his left hand rests on his thigh. He has a moustache and possibly a third eye in the centre of the forehead. This male deity has been identified as Indra, God of the Atmosphere. The central figure is four-armed and holds the sun and the moon in the upper hands, and an unidentifiable object in the raised right hand. It has been generally identified as a Goddess of Abundance, possibly Maya-Sri, the mother of Buddha Śakyamuni. However, it has also been suggested that she may represent the Sogdian goddess Nana. The figure on the right is three-headed and four-armed, holding bow and arrows in his upper arms and a drinking bowl in front of his chest. All three heads show a third vertical eye in the centre of the forehead, and the central face has a moustache. This figure has been traditionally identified as Brahma. However, the three heads and three eyes as well as the bow and arrows could also suggest an identification with Śiva as Wesparkar. The other side shows two seated Buddhas and two seated bodhisattvas. Painted in ink and colours on wood.
IMG


Comments:EnglishFrom Whitfield 1985:This panel was found in the same circumstances as that in the previous plate. Although only about half as long, it is painted in a similar style on the front, and the back is painted as well (Fig. 97). This plate shows the front, with three seated figures all in the characteristic pose looking to their right. The identification of these figures has been put forward by Joanna Williams in the article already quoted in the notes to the preceding plate. She identifies the figure on the left as Indra, crowned and holding a vajra; at the other end could be Brahma, with three (out of four) heads and a third eye in each, holding a bow and arrows and a drinking bowl. The figure in the centre is suggested with less certainty by Williams as a goddess of abundance, in which case this whole group, with the Hindu gods Indra and Brahma might refer to an event such as the Buddha’s birth. The goddess holds aloft the sun and moon, as do some of the other deities in this series of votive panels from Khotan (see Pl. 70-1), and another unidentified attribute.On the reverse (Fig. 97), two Buddhas are seated in the centre, looking towards one another, one in a red robe, the other in white, with fine drapery lines in ink. At either side sits another figure. That on the left is apparently a Bodhisattva, nude to the waist and wearing red trousers with white floral spots. The corresponding figure on the right is almost completely effaced. ChineseFrom Whitfield 1985:此木板畫和上圖是在同一地方發現的，長只有上圖的一半左右，正面的畫，繪法與上圖相同，背面也有畫（參照Fig. 97）。這裡展示的正面，是三身略向右傾各具獨特姿態的坐像。在上圖的解說中引用的Joanna William的論文中，對各像進行過比定。她確認左端的頭戴冠手持金剛杵的像是因陀羅，右端的三面都有三隻眼睛，手持弓矢和盃的像，是婆羅吸摩。作者不敢肯定中間的像就是豐收神，這組像被稱之爲因陀羅或婆羅吸摩的印度教的神靈，與佛祖誕生有關。此中央的像手捧日月，手捧日月的其他神在和田出土的一系列木板畫中可見到幾個（見圖70－1），還有一些難以判斷其屬性。背面(Fig. 97)中間二佛並坐，相互注視對方。一身著朱衣，另一身則著白衣，衣服上用墨線加了細褶。兩側各配一身坐像。左邊的明顯是菩薩，腰部裸露，赤色衣裙閒有白花紋。與此相對的右邊的像，已完全褪色。 The Department of Asia would like to thank Xanthe Carmichael for her help with updating the information on the site of Dandan-Uiliq.