Chapter I: Front Matter

THE THOUSAND BUDDHAS

ANCIENT BUDDHIST PAINTINGS FROM
THE CAVE-TEMPLES OF TUN-HUANG
ON THE WESTERN FRONTIER OF CHINA

RECOVERED AND DESCRIBED BY
AUREL STEIN, K.C.I.E.

WITH AN INTRODUCTORY ESSAY BY
LAURENCE BINYON

PUBLISHED UNDER THE ORDERS OF
H.M. SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA
AND WITH THE CO-OPERATION OF THE
TRUSTEES OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM

TEXT

LONDON
BERNARD QUARITCH, Ltd.
1921

PRINTED IN ENGLAND
AT THE OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
BY FREDERICK HALL

TO THE MEMORY OF

RAPHAEL PETRUCCI

TO WHOSE DEVOTION TO FAR-EASTERN ART
THE STUDY OF THESE PAINTINGS OWES MOST
THIS ALBUM WHICH HE HAD HELPED TO PLAN
IS DEDICATED
IN ADMIRATION, AFFECTION, AND SORROW

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE
PREFACE ix

THE TUN-HUANG PAINTINGS AND THEIR PLACE IN BUDDHIST ART An Introductory Essay by Laurence Binyon 1–10

DESCRIPTIVE ACCOUNT OF PICTURES by Sir Aurel Stein 11–63
I, II. The Paradise of Bhaiṣajyaguru 11
III. A celestial assemblage 13
IV, V. Processions of Mañjuśrī and Samantabhadra 14
VI. Details from a painting of a Buddhist Heaven 15
VII. The Paradise of Śākyamuni 16
VIII. Amitābha’s Paradise 18
IX. Legendary scenes from a painting of Maitreya’s
Paradise 19
X. Amitābha with attendants 20
XI. A Paradise of Amitābha 21
XII. Scenes from Gautama Buddha’s Life 23
XIII. Scenes from the Buddha legend 25
XIV. Images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas 26
XV. Two forms of Avalokiteśvara 28
XVI. Four forms of Avalokiteśvara 29
XVII. Avalokiteśvara in Glory 30
XVIII. Avalokiteśvara standing, with willow spray 31
XIX. Two Avalokiteśvaras with the willow 32
XX. Avalokiteśvara with flame-wreathed halo 33
XXI. Avalokiteśvara standing 33
XXII. Two Avalokiteśvara paintings with donors 34
XXIII. Six-armed Avalokiteśvara with attendant
Bodhisattvas 35
XXIV. Two paper paintings of Avalokiteśvara 36
XXV. Two paintings of Kṣitigarbha 37
XXVI. Vaiśravaṇa’s Progress 39
XXVII. Virūpākṣa and Mañjuśrī 40
XXVIII. Bust of a Lokapāla 42
XXIX. Two Dharmapālas and a Bodhisattva 43
XXX. Side-scenes and details from a Buddhist Paradise
painting 44
XXXI. A Tibetan painting of Tārā 45
XXXII. Paper pictures of a Bodhisattva, saint, and monk 47
XXXIII. Paper pictures of hermit and horse-dragon 47
XXXIV, XXXV. Embroidery picture of Śākyamuni on the Vulture
Peak 48
XXXVI. Bhaiṣajyaguru’s Paradise 50
XXXVII. Banners with scenes from the Buddha legend 51
XXXVIII. Buddha Tejaḥprabha and Avalokiteśvara as guide of
souls 53
XXXIX. Kṣitigarbha with the Infernal Judges 54
XL. Kṣitigarbha as Patron of Travellers 55
XLI. Avalokiteśvara and two other Bodhisattvas 56
XLII. Avalokiteśvara, thousand-armed, with attendant
divinities 57
XLIII. Avalokiteśvara with Lokapāla attendants 58
XLIV. Fragment of standing Avalokiteśvara 59
XLV. Vaiśravaṇa crossing the ocean 59
XLVI. Fragment with child on demon’s hand 61
XLVII. Three Lokapāla banners 61
XLVIII. Fragment with figure of demonic warrior 63

INDEX 64