1919,0101,0.157

Description

Scope and content : Paper painting, over which Ch. 00150. a, b were pasted. Subject non-Buddhist, perhaps giving of first written characters by the horse-dragon to Fu-hsi (see W. F. Mayers, Chinese Reader’s Manual, p. 48). The horsedragon kneels ¾ to R. with open jaws; before him stands bearded man, smiling, with tablet in L. hand and brush in R., in act of writing. He wears white-sleeved under-robe, long pink mantle, and sq. black head-dress with projecting sq. orn. (?) in front. Back of his fig. has been cut off in adaptation of painting as a mount for woodcuts. A branching column of flame rises from tablet, and others stream from dragon’s head and wings. He has red snake’s body, horse’s forelegs, and conventional lion-like head with voluminous upstanding mane out of which rise three sharp pointed objects like mountain peaks. Between him and man lies string of Chin. coins strung on red band. Their meaning is uncertain unless Fu-hsi is also here credited with invention of coins. Condition good. 1′ 5¾″ × 1′ 2¼″. Thousand Buddhas, Pl. XXXIII.