book; sutra; painting; 書籍 (Chinese); 佛經 (Chinese); 繪畫 (Chinese) | British Museum

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book; sutra; painting; 書籍(Chinese); 佛經(Chinese); 繪畫(Chinese)

Object Type: book; sutra; painting; 書籍 (Chinese); 佛經 (Chinese); 繪畫 (Chinese)
Museum number: 1919,0101,0.208
Description: Booklet (or codex) originally inscribed with three sutras. Two devarajas (heavenly kings) are painted on page 1 and 2. The full text of one sutra, the Foshuo huixianglun jing, which prescribes doing good deeds to gain merit, runs from page 5 to page 19, followed by sections of two other sutras. Ink and colour on paper.
Cultures/periods: Tang dynasty; 唐代 (Chinese)
Production date: 9thC
Excavator/field collector
Findspot: Excavated/Findspot: Cave 17, Ch.xxii.0026 (from Cave 17 at Ch’ien Fo Tung (pinyin: Qian Fo Dong)); Excavated/Findspot: 第17窟 (Chinese)
Materials: paper; 紙 (Chinese)
Technique
Dimensions: Height: 13.50 centimetres (each leaf); Width: 14.50 centimetres
$Inscriptions
Bibliographic references: Stein 1921a / Serindia: detailed report of archaeological explorations in Central Asia and Westernmost China (p.1026; vol.IV, pl.XCII); Whitfield 1983 / Paintings from Dunhuang (pl. 69, fig. 96); Whitfield & Farrer 1990 / Caves of the Thousand Buddhas. Chinese Art from the Silk Route (cat.no.77)
Location: Not on display
Subjects: deity; 神 (Chinese)
Acquisition date: 1919
Acquisition notes: For full acquisition history, see 1919,0101,0.1.
Department: Asia
Registration number: 1919,0101,0.208
Additional IDs: Miscellaneous number: Ch.xxii.0026 (Stein no.)