Among the silk banners reproduced in this Plate, all on the scale
of three-fifths, the two on the sides (Ch. liv. 002 on the left and
Ch. 004 on the right) show us Dharmapālas, or ‘Protectors of the
Law’. These divinities are conceived as forms of Vajrapāṇi in fury
and are still favourite figures in the Buddhist imagery of the Far
East. Originally derived from the ancient Gandhāra representations
of the thunderbolt bearer (Vajrapāṇi), they meet us already in the
sixth-century relievos of the Lung-mên grottoes in China.[61] They
show there those poses and that exaggerated development of the muscles
which, together with other grotesque features, remain characteristics
of the type exhibited in a more or less conventionalized form by the
Dharmapāla figures in the paintings and sculptures of Tun-huang. These
figures, as M. Foucher has justly observed, ‘already make us think of
the athletic demons of Japan’.
Like the rest of our Dharmapāla paintings, the two banners reproduced
here are but slightly distinguished from each other in type and may
hence be briefly described together. They are excellently preserved
and complete, with head-piece and streamers at bottom, which, however,
from consideration of space are omitted in the Plate. Both Dharmapālas
have the muscular body in tense attitude, the grotesque head with
its furious downward look, and the large richly ornamented Vajra
representing the thunderbolt. They stand slightly to one side with the
feet planted apart on two lotuses and the head turned back over the
shoulder. There is a difference in the pose of the arms and hands. In
the banner on the left the Dharmapāla raises his right arm with the
hand open threateningly above his head, while the left hand by the side
grasps the Vajra. In the other figure the right hand supports the end
of the Vajra and the left, with fingers stiffly spread, steadies it
half-way up.
In either figure the head shows a grotesque face with enlarged staring
eyes, misshapen nose, fierce moustaches, and a beard in long straggling
tufts. The flesh is painted light brown. The muscles and joints of body
and limbs are emphasized with conventional exaggeration, but with an
effect full of vigour. The muscles are drawn in strong black lines to
which modelling is added by brushwork in light red or pink. Abundantly
decked with jewellery as the figures are, they carry but scanty dress.
It comprises a short skirt, bright crimson or scarlet with slate
border, which is tied round the hips by a trailing white girdle; also a
narrow stole, olive green with brown or pink reverse, which winds over
both forearms.
The sinuous lines of the drapery, the fillet ends of the head-dress
flying upwards, the coiling clouds above the haloed heads, all help to
intensify the expression of violent effort. The same end is well served
by the bold lines of the drawing and the strong and clear colours used.
The banner in the centre (Ch. 001) is, but for the lost accessories,
in an excellent condition, and shows in its figure a fine example of
the Bodhisattva type which has been distinguished above under the
conventional designation of ‘Chinese’.
The Bodhisattva, as yet unidentified, stands in a peculiar pose not
elsewhere represented among our paintings. He stands on an open lotus,
with the raised right hand holding at shoulder level a round bowl of
mottled green glass with a metal rim. The head is turned three-quarters
towards the bowl, while the left hand hangs down by the side. As the
weight of the body is carried on the right leg and the body slightly
inclines from the right hip towards the left shoulder, attention is
cleverly drawn by the pose to the object which the right hand supports.
The face shows conventional features of the ‘Chinese’ Bodhisattva type
in the small slanting eyes, heavy cheeks, and small full mouth. The
down-turned corners of the mouth and the wrinkles marked below the
outer ends of the nostrils impart a curious expression to the face.
As in all these banners, the flesh is left the natural colour of the
silk, with delicate shading in faint pink to show the modelling of face
and body.
The dress is the traditional Bodhisattva attire in a particularly
elaborate form. A trailing skirt of pale pink, with blue border,
drapes the figure from the waist to the feet. Its upper edge is held
by a white girdle and gold-edged belt. The end of this girdle hangs
down with loops in front and the end of another behind it, made of a
rich flowered red material. An under-robe of dull red appears only
above the feet. The upper half of the body is nude except for a band
of purplish-pink drapery, elaborate jewellery, and a filmy blue stole
which shown in delicate transparent colour descends over shoulders and
arms to the ground.
The abundant jewellery is of a type with which we have already become
familiar in paintings of Avalokiteśvara and elsewhere. The head-dress
consists of a narrow fillet of white drapery, ending with a narrow
white band which hangs in a long loop to the knees. Over the forehead
it carries a light gold ornament ending above in two lotus buds which
spring backwards over the black hair. This falls behind in heavy
locks down to the elbows and forms a dark background to the bust. The
circular nimbus is made up of variegated rings of colour such as are
seen round the heads of the Bodhisattvas in Plate XLI. The elaborate
canopy is of a kind we have already met with. Its straight-hanging
tassels agree with the motionless attitude of the figure. Yet
notwithstanding this attitude the whole picture in its highly finished
style seems instinct with life.