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of the Directorate of Imperial Accouterments (Yuyongjian) and two wearing animal-mask caps with open mouths, which
and thus oversaw the work of imperial artist and artisans. seem to devour their heads, probably representing Yanmoluo
The Fahaisi project enjoyed the patronage of the Zhengtong Wang, the King of the Fifth Hell accompanied by the demons
Emperor (r. 1436-1449) and of three high-ranking Tibetan Oxhead and Horsehead. Those on the right include a male
Buddhist clerics, two of whom, Shakya Yeshe (Sakya ye-shes, gure in the guise of a ruler, holding a tablet, identied in the
1354-1435, who had died before the monastery was built) Fahaisi as the Dragon King Suojie Longwang, accompanied –
and Palden Tashi had been in close contact with the Xuande like in the monastery – by a yaksa demon, the only gure in
Emperor. Li Tong himself had already served at the court of the pantheon without a halo; behind him is an old man with a
the Yongle and Xuande Emperors, it is therefore not surprising lotus censer, whose counterpart at the Fahaisi is interpreted
that we should nd many correlations in the Tibetan Buddhist as the Immortal Posou; and further below, a gure in military
iconography of two such near-contemporary, imperially garb, probably representing Weituo (Skanda).
sponsored, meritorious projects. The complex iconography Two apsaras are hovering overhead, carrying sacricial
of the Fahaisi has been researched and discussed in detail o¯erings, one holding a tray with a miniature mountain-
by Ursula Toyka in a monograph entitled The Splendours shaped rock, the other a dish with a lotus ower.
of Paradise: Murals and Epigraphic Documents at the Early
Ming Buddhist Monastery Fahai Si, 2 vols, Monumenta Serica In the lower two corners of the image we see the four
Monograph Series LXIII, Sankt Augustin, 2014, which provides Heavenly Kings, clad in elaborate ornamental armour,
important clues to the identication of gures depicted in our depicted in the same manner as in the Fahaisi: following Dishi
Sutra. Tian are Duowen Tian, the Heavenly King of the Northern
regions, carrying a long sta¯ with an umbrella-like ‘royal
Shakyamuni Buddha is shown preaching to a celestial emblem’, and a model of a stupa; and Guangmu Tian, King of
host seated on the ground facing him, and is venerated by the West, his right hand grasping a snake, his left holding a
a pantheon of disciples, deities, demons, guardians and pearl. Fan Tian is followed by Chiguo Tian, the Heavenly King
attendants. The Buddha is anked by his principle disciples, of the East, playing a pipa (Chinese lute); and Zengzhang Tian,
Ananda and Kasyapa, who are standing beside him. The the King of the South, holding a sword and with one nger
leading female and male gure on either side at the front testing the blade.
should represent – in analogy to the Fahaisi murals – Dishi
Tian (Indra), Ruler of Heaven, and Fan Tian (Brahma), Ruler At the end of the last volume of this set, depicted in the same
of the Earth. Both are accompanied by two female attendants, gilt-etched technique, there is a guardian gure in military
those of Fan Tian holding a canopy and o¯ering a miniature garb, which can be identied as Weituo. A similarly attired
mountain-shaped rock – those of Dishi Tian presenting a dish gure was already depicted by Zhu Bao (active c. 1350) in
with lotus owers and carrying a y whisk. an illumination of a Lotus Sutra in gold on blue paper, dated
in accordance with 1342, preserved in the National Palace
Their retinues consist of twelve celestial beings each, divided Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Toyka, op.cit., pl. 188.
into three groups of four: On either side we see four deities
depicted as female Bodhisattvas, bejewelled and wearing These ten albums of the Prajnaparamita Sutra, copied for
elegant garments and headdresses, which are not further the merit of the Xuande Emperor, clearly represent the
distinguished and therefore not individually identiable, work of the most accomplished calligraphers, painters and
although one holds a book balanced on a lotus ower, and one engravers working for the court, and are unsurpassed in the
a ruyi sceptre. Further, we see four gures of monks on each quality of the materials employed, the design on which they
side, distinguished by age and including at least one foreigner are based, and the brushwork and artistry with which they
with beard and earrings, but otherwise also not further were accomplished. It is extremely rare for any early Ming
distinguished. imperial manuscript to be available for sale at auction. One
smaller album containing 39 leaves of Buddhist scriptures
The last groups of four, higher up on either side, include some and illustrations in gold on blue paper, dated to the 12th year
more esoteric gures. On the left another female Bodhisattva of Yongle (1414) was sold in our New York rooms, 19th March
is followed by three demon-like gures, one with a bird’s beak
2015, lot 427.
THE LOST WISDOM SUTRA A TREASURE FROM THE GOLDEN AGE OF XUANDE 37
