Mogao Christian painting
Painting of a Christian figure | |
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Artist | Unknown |
Year | 9th century |
Type | Ink and colours on silk |
Dimensions | 88 cm × 55 cm (35 in × 22 in) |
Location | British Museum, London |
The Mogao Christian painting, also known as Painting of a Christian figure or Fragment of a Christian figure, is a fragmentary silk painting of a haloed man with crosses on his head and chest who has been interpreted as a Christian figure associated with the Church of the East. The painting dates to the end of the 9th century,[1] during the Guiyi rule of Dunhuang under the Zhang family. It was discovered by the Hungarian-born British archaeologist Aurel Stein at the Library Cave (Cave 17) of the Mogao Caves in 1908, and is now kept in the British Museum, London.
Description
The figure is represented in a three-quarter view in a manner very similar to some of the paintings of
Analysis
According to Meicun Lin (a
The figure with the right hand held open and the thumb touching the middle finger, which is a variant of the
Icon of Christ
According to the German professor Hans-Joachim Klimkeit and Swiss scholar Christoph Baumer, “the figure represents Jesus Christ or a saint”.[4][5][6] Tōru Haneda , a Japanese historian and professor of Kyoto University, argues that “the unearthed in Dunhuang must be an image of Christ”.[2] P. Y. Saeki, the Japanese scholar of religion, also considers the painting to be an icon of Jesus.[7]
Gallery
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A copy
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A reconstruction by a Japanese artist
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The complete reconstruction
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Top of the nimbus, the triangle shape is associated with fire, like a flame that peaks at the top.
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The winged or feathered headdress decorated with the cross on the lotus flower.
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The face with red moustache and wispy beard.
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The curls at the shoulders.
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The cross pattern on the necklace and the cross pendant.
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The Vitarka Mudrā.
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The golden bracelet.
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The sleeve ruffs.
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Thebow knot.
In popular culture
- The image appears on a missionary leaflet handed to Tan Qi (Rayzha Alimjan) by the Monk Jingde (Volker Helfrich ) in the 20th episode of The Longest Day in Chang'an.
See also
- Jesus Sutras
- Nestorian cross
- Xi'an Stele
- Church of the East in China
- Nestorian pillar of Luoyang
- Murals from the Christian temple at Qocho
- Manichaean Painting of the Buddha Jesus
- Sogdian Daēnās
- Ancient Arts of Central Asia
Notes
- ^ The inscription on the Xi'an Stele mentions that Alopen carried with him the Christian scriptures and icons.
References
- ^ "Collection online, museum number 1919,0101,0.48". British Museum. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
Two minor features suggest that this painting dates from the end of the ninth century
- ^ a b Lin, Meicun; Buslig, Szonja (31 January 2007). "西域における景教芸術の発見:敦煌蔵経洞のキリスト画像" [Discovery of Nestorian Christian Art in Western Regions: Image of Christ from the Library Cave at Dunhuang]. dsr.nii.ac.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 21 July 2018.
- . Retrieved 21 July 2018.
- ISBN 957-531-421-2.
- ISBN 978-1-78453-683-1.
- ^ Tubach, Jürgen (1999). "Die nestorianische Kirche in China" [The Nestorian Church in China]. Nubica et Æthiopica (in German). Warsaw: Zaś Pan: 66.
- ^ Kung, Tien Min (1960). 唐朝基督教之研究 [Christianity in the T‘ang Dynasty] (PDF) (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Hong Kong: The Council on Christian Literature for Overseas Chinese. p. 7 (PDF page).
佐伯博士主張此像乃景敎的耶穌像