Frontispiece of the Thousand Buddhas of the Present Kalpa Sutra

CHINA; Yuan dynasty

Printed during the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), this is a frontispiece illustration from the Thousand Buddhas of the Present Kalpa Sutra, written in Tangut script. The picture shows a scene at a translation center. From the inscriptions in the cartouches, it is known that the figure in the center is the main translator, the monk Bai Zhiguang. He is flanked by eight other monks, four being Tangut and the remaining four likely Han Chinese. Each monk has a nimbus and is depicted holding a brush in their right hand and a scroll in their left. They sit behind tables neatly arranged with stationery. Behind the monks, there are eight laypeople wearing headdresses standing with joined palms.
In front of Bai, there is an altar covered with fruits, tea, and other offerings. A male and a female figure, dressed in Tangut clothing, are located on the bottom left and right sides of the illustration. They are accompanied by attendants standing behind them, and are identified by inscriptions within cartouches as “Mother, Empress Dowager Liang” and “Son, Emperor Huizong” on the left and right respectively. This indicates that the picture is a portrayal of a translation center from the time of Emperor Huizong (reigned 1069–1086) of the Western Xia period.