Page 477 - The Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology: Celebrated Discoveries from the People’s Republic of China

tified by a cartouche inscribed in similar fashion
to those that identify the Pure Lands on the outer
sandalwood casket. These depictions closely re-
semble (and were likely based on) contemporary
paintings on silk or paper, or murals, such as those
found early this century at the Caves of the Thou-
sand Buddhas at Dunhuang. Foremost among them,
on the front of the casket, is Vaisravana, Guardian
King of the North, easily identified by the small
stupa he supports on his left hand. Behind him, one
of his army of yaksas takes aim at a winged demon
fleeing at the top right, exactly as in a silk banner
now in the British Museum. 2
Vaisravana is seated in frontal view on two
dwarfish figures who crawl out to either side, his
right hand grasping a vajra, or diamond club; the
tiny figure of the earth goddess Prithvi appears
beneath him, tenderly holding his right foot
(a reference to the Khotanese legend with which
Vaisravana, as the patron saint of Khotan, is asso-
ciated). The infant on the left, who offers him a
jewel from a pot of treasure, may be the son granted
to the childless king and nurtured by the earth
goddess; other precious items are strewn about
on the ground. The other three Guardian Kings,
Virudhaka of the South at the back of the casket,
Dhrtarastra and Virupaksa of the East and West, at
the left and right, respectively, are seated in similar
fashion: all three, however, look to their right, as if
following Vaisravana in processional order. Besides
including the Pure Land of the West of Buddha their armed followers, each of these three also has a
Amitabha — the Buddha of Boundless Light and the female attendant, presenting a vase of flowers or
focus of Pure Land worship. It was apparently sur- holding an incense burner. In the case of Vaisra-
rounded by a wooden railing with carved balusters vana, there are two male donors: a Chinese em-
topped by gilt lotus buds, similar to the railing peror, holding a lotus bud in his left hand
surrounding the gilt bronze stupa (cat. 161). and proferring a coin in the open palm of his right
The second to the seventh caskets were lowered hand; and the bearded King of Khotan, offering
into each other by means of lengths of silk, rem- with both hands a crystalline lump of jade from
nants of which remained in their original positions that country.
when the objects were discovered. Each casket was A pair of dragons amid swirling clouds circle
fastened by a padlock, with the appropriate key around a single flaming pearl on the lid of the
still in place. All share the same square shape with casket. The chamfered edges feature pairs of ani-
chamfered lid but are decorated in different ways. mals amid lush foliage; the vertical sides are
Each side of this, the second casket, shows one decorated with pairs of human-headed birds, or
of the Four Guardian Kings, each of whom is iden- kalavinkas, providers of music in the Pure Lands.

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