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Frames 1 - 6
The procession of emperor Lizhi |
This scroll is located in the National Palace Museum, Taibei. The scroll, ink and color on paper, is 16.655 meters long and 30.4 cm high. It was created in the Kingdom of Dali (now Yunnan Province). The main artist was Zhang Shengwen 張勝溫 (fl. 1163–1189). Scholars refer to the scroll as Fanxiang juan 梵像卷 (Roll of Buddhist Images).
The scroll begins and ends with inscriptions added later. The preface is absent from the scholarly papers referred to below. The colophon dates from the 14th-15th century, and relates the history of the scroll. Only two inscriptions of the colophon (out of seven discussed in the scholarly papers) are reproduced here.
The first six frames show the procession of emperor Lizhi (利貞). This was the first reign name (1172–1175) of Duan Zhixing, 18th ruler of the kingdom of Dali. Then follow 122 frames showing a Buddhist pantheon, including 16 arhats, the seven first patriarchs of Chinese Chan, eight eminent monks from the Dali region, various Buddhas, bodhisattvas, Buddha-mothers, deva kings, guardians and other figures. The last frames are of two canopied pillars and of the kings from sixteen kingdoms. Several frames appear to have been retouched, and some seem to be missing (in particular between frames 91 and 92).
The images were obtained by scanning a recent reproduction of the scroll. The comments were copied from a series of papers in Artibus Asiae, which I assume are now in the public domain. The proper identification of the 13 kings of Dali in frame 103 was taken from the paper by Liang Xiaoqiang (in Chinese), and their names and dates of reign from the wikipedia page for Nanzhao.
The numbering of the frames is that adopted by the Chinese scholar Li Lin Can.
Clic on the images below to access the slide show, which proceeds from right to left.
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| 2 1 |
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| Preface |
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| 22 21 20 19 |
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| 18 17 16 15 |
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| 14 13 |
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| 12 11 |
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| 10 9 |
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| 45 44 43 42 |
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| 41 40 39 38 |
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| 38 37 36 35 |
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| 34 33 32 31 |
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| 30 29 28 27 |
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| 26 25 24 23 |
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| 67 66 65 64 63 |
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| 62 61 60 59 |
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| 58 57 56 |
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| 55 54 |
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| 53 52 51 50 |
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| 49 48 47 46 |
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| 84 83 82 |
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| 81 |
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| 80 79 78 |
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| 77 |
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| 76 75 74 73 |
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| 72 71 70 69 68 |
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| 102 101 100 |
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| 99 98 97 |
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| 96 95 94 |
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| 93 92 91 |
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| 90 89 88 |
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| 87 86 85 |
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| 121 120 119 |
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| 118 117 116 |
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| 115 114 113 112 |
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| 111 110 109 |
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| 108 107 106 |
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| 105 104 103 |
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| colophon |
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| 134 133 132 131 |
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| 130 129 |
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| 128 127 126 125 |
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| 124 123 122 |
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Bibliographical references
Chapin, H.B. (revised by Alexander C. Soper), A long roll of Buddhist images I, Artibus Asiae, 1970, 32, 5-41.
Chapin, H.B. (revised by Alexander C. Soper), A long roll of Buddhist images II, Artibus Asiae, 1970, 32, 157-199.
Chapin, H.B. (revised by Alexander C. Soper), A long roll of Buddhist images III, Artibus Asiae, 1970, 32, 259-306.
Chapin, H.B. (revised by Alexander C. Soper), A long roll of Buddhist images IV, Artibus Asiae, 1971, 33, 75-140.
Liang Xiaoqiang, Interpreting the Nanzhao king's buddha worship picture with illustration, Journal of Qujing normal University, vol. 27, n°2, March 2008, pp.62-67 (online article)
Links to webpages (in Chinese) describing the scroll
National Palace Museum
ifuun.com
