Fan Jinshi
Fan Jinshi is Director of the Dunhuang Academy in China. Her research interests are on
Chinese Central Asia — known historically in China as ‘The Western
Regions’. This is part of the ancient ‘Silk Road’ where trade and
culture flourished and where diverse civilisations met. In the rich
cultural legacy that remains in the region we can glimpse the
history of a thousand years of interaction between these
civilisations. Buddhism had a far-reaching impact in its journey
from India through Central Asia to China and East Asia. The Dunhuang
Mogao caves are a direct result of this, showcasing this mix of
cultures. Having been involved for many years with research on and
protection of the caves, Professor Fan Jinshi has a strong interest
in the cultural connections between Dunhuang and Central
Asia.
Her chosen item is the painting 1919,0101,0.6.
Fan Jinshi writes:
The painting has several
interesting features. Firstly, the heads of the three younger
disciples are very round with round faces and cute expressions.
Second, the painting is very similar to murals found in Dunhuang
Mogao Caves dating from the early Tang period. For example, the
complex lingzhi mushroom (灵芝) design depicted on the canopy and the lotus seat
is identical to that shown in the preaching scene on the east
wall of Mogao Cave 329, dating to the early Tang. Third, the
composition is very similar to the Pure Land and preaching
scenes depicted in early Tang caves such as Mogao 321 and 329.
This type of composition is thought to have originated from the
preaching scene in the Sui-period Mogao Cave 390. These
similarities indicate a close relationship between this piece
and the murals of the same period at Dunhuang Mogao.
Link to original post on IDP blog.