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Chinese temples such as Pilusi 毗盧寺 (Vairocana Monastery)
– strung together through the eye sockets. In the depiction of
Four-Armed Mahākāla (see Pl. 17.9) one also finds a dragon-
like garland depicted with horns, curling snout and spiny
ridge, and shorts are placed modestly on figures – otherwise
depicted nude, which is characteristic of Chinese production
of Tibetan Buddhist imagery.
The only wall paintings within Qutan Hall executed in an
outwardly Chinese manner are the small scenes of the
Fifty-three Visits of Sudhana which run in two registers along the
lower section of the east and west walls, where the figures are
clearly dressed as Chinese courtiers. Cleverly hidden within
the 14th visit, in an architectural panel used as a horizontal
cartouche, is a badly abraded Tibetan inscription which
appears to contain a Yongle reign date: ‘Ta’i Yung lo bsten’
(Da Yongle 大永樂) ‘closely arranged [in the] Great Yongle
[reign]’. This would confirm an early Ming date for the
painting of the murals (that is, during the period of imperial
involvement), though slightly later than the hall’s founding.
Second stage of construction (1418)
The History of the Dharma in Amdo goes on to describe the
second stage of construction and ornamentation of Qutan
Monastery during the early 15th century:
In the lifetime of the Yongle and Xuande emperors, the official
Samten Zangpo (bSam gtan bzang po) erected images of
Śākyamuni and Vajradhara. Thirteen temples and the Plate 17.11 Detail of Kṣitigarbha, mid-16th century. Pilu Monastery,
monastic servants of monastic estates of seven valleys were Hebei province
bestowed. Golden seals were given to the brothers Palden
41
Zangpo (Palden Tashi) and Sonam Gyaltsen (bSod nams Baoguang Hall (Tib. Jo khang rin chen ’od ’bar)
rgyal mtshan), his (Sangye Tashi’s) own nephews. In particular Baoguangdian 寶光殿 (Hall of Blazing Jewel Light) was
patents which were clear expressions of praise over a period of
time and a self-arisen image of the Buddha were given [by the built in 1418.The iconographic programme of Baoguang
Yongle Emperor] to Palden Zangpo, and a chapel a day’s Hall is identical to Qutan Hall, just built on a grander scale.
distance from the palace was built with state funds to house it. Elaborate knots (Pl. 17.12) in the sashes of the deities on the
The statue resided in the Jo khang of Blazing Jewel Light side walls of Baoguang Hall are clearly derived from a
(Baoguang Hall) as the chief image. 42 Chinese repertoire – again confirming the presence of
Chinese painters’ hands in the Tibetan imagery. A similar

Plate 17.12 (above) Amoghasiddhi, knot detail, c. 1418. East wall, Baoguang Hall,
Qutan Monastery, Qinghai

Plate 17.13 (right) Detail of a Karmapa (Fifth Karmapa, Deshin Shekpa (1384–1415)?),
c. 1418. North wall, Baoguang Hall, Qutan Monastery, Qinghai

The Early Ming Imperial Atelier on the Tibetan Frontier | 159