Painting of a Guiding Bodhisattva 引路菩萨绢画

Pure Land Themed Painting on  Silk 净土主题绢画

851-900 A.D. (Late Tang, Guiyijun Period) 公元851-900年（晚唐归义军时期）

This hanging scroll painting on silk currently at the British Museum depicts a guiding Bodhisattva, suggested by many curators to be the Avalokitesvara (Guanyin) Bodhisattva, who is leading a noble woman toward the Pure Land. The Bodhisattva holds a censer and a banner in his hands and the noblewoman, on a much smaller scale, follows him into the clouds. The Bodhisattva was painted with luxurious jewelries covered in gold. The noblewoman’s attire and makeup were depicted in elegant details, from her moth eyebrows, a fashion at the time, to her flowy dresses. The Pure Land theme in this painting started to gain popularity in Dunhuang in the late Tang dynasty. This theme was reflected in mural paintings in caves from this period, such as Mogao Cave 220, and Mogao Cave 172. Although there are several more paintings of the same theme and composition among the Stein and Pelliot acquisitions, this is the only one with a written title “Yinlu Pu”, or "Guiding Bodhisattva", to specify the topic.

这幅现存于大英博物馆的挂式卷轴绢画描绘了引路菩萨——大部分学者认为是观音菩萨——引领着一个贵族妇女通往极乐世界。菩萨手持香炉和经幡，贵族妇女紧跟其后，尺寸比例略小，升腾于云雾中。引路菩萨被饰以华丽的珠宝用金粉覆盖。贵妇的装扮从当时流行的峨眉到飘逸的裙摆都描绘得十分精细。此画中的净土主题从晚唐开始在敦煌就非常流行，多次出现在同时期敦煌石窟的壁画中，例如莫高第220号窟, 和莫高第172号窟。虽然此主题和结构的绘画在斯坦因和伯希和的收藏中有多幅，但仅此一幅有抬头“引路菩”明确表明该画的主题。

References 文献:

1. The British Museum. Painting: Guiding Bodhisattva. https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_1919-0101-0-47#object-detail-data
2. International Dunhuang Project (IDP). 1919,0101,0.47 Recto. http://idp.bl.uk/database/oo_scroll_h.a4d?uid=92344520722;recnum=40481;index=1