Kumarajiva of the Sixteen Kingdoms

The seven frontispieces depict Manjushri and Samantabhadra in four different forms. In the seven-character rhyme at the end of Volume Seven, Guan Zhengyin mentions "My Samantabhadra's extraordinary deeds," which may reveal the artistic intention behind the paintings. (Chung Tzu-yin)
According to the postscript at the end of Volume Seven, this work was funded by a monk named Wenzhi in the 8th year of the Ming Zhengtong era. The calligraphy was done by Guan Zhengyin, a disciple who had taken Bodhisattva vows, at the age of 76. Each volume begins with a frontispiece and ends with a tailpiece, but the artist's name is not mentioned in the postscript.
Wenzhi, who funded this work, remains largely unknown due to the lack of historical records. Unlike the ornate calligraphic style favored by Shen Du (1357-1434) in the Ming court, Guan Zhengyin's calligraphy seems to be influenced by the Wei and Jin dynasties' small regular script (xiaokai), with square-shaped characters. Particularly notable is the deliberate elongation of horizontal strokes, similar to Wang Xizhi's "Cao'e Stele," emphasizing the tilting of the center of gravity in each character. Each page is folded into 5 half-leaves, with 5 lines per half-leaf and 17 characters per line.
The 7 frontispieces in this work depart from the conventional practice of depicting scenes from each volume and instead present more original interpretations. Volumes One, Three, and Five primarily depict images of Sakyamuni Buddha with Manjushri and Samantabhadra Bodhisattvas. Volume Two depicts the Three Buddhas, while Volumes Four, Six, and Seven illustrate Sakyamuni Buddha's teachings. In Volume Four, the prominent Seven-Jeweled Stupa is depicted on the left side of the composition, while Volume Seven includes depictions of Manjushri riding a lion, Samantabhadra riding a six-tusked white elephant, and Avalokitesvara riding a makara, known collectively as the "Three Great Sages" theme. In the Preface to the "Lotus Sutra," Manjushri foreshadows Sakyamuni Buddha's forthcoming discourse on the great Dharma, and Samantabhadra expresses his vow in the "Samantabhadra Bodhisattva's Aspiration" to protect and guide practitioners of the Lotus Sutra while riding a six-tusked white elephant. These two bodhisattvas have been Sakyamuni Buddha's prominent attendants in the Lotus Sutra since the Tang Dynasty. Additionally, Volume Seven introduces Guanyin as part of the "Three Great Sages," likely due to the inclusion of the "Universal Gateway Chapter" in this volume.
The artist consciously adopted both Han and Tibetan traditions in this work: in Volume One and Volume Three, Sakyamuni Buddha, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra are depicted. In Volume Three, Manjushri holds a wish-fulfilling jewel overhead, a characteristic of Han Buddhism imagery, while Samantabhadra holds a lotus stem with a fully bloomed lotus supporting a scripture, another Han Buddhist motif. However, in Volume One, Manjushri's hands form the turning wheel seal, with scripture and a sword placed on lotus petals on either shoulder, typical of Tibetan Buddhist imagery. Interestingly, Samantabhadra is depicted with the turning wheel seal and a scripture held on one shoulder in Volume One, but the origin of this imagery is unclear. It is speculated that this depiction is a creative adaptation of the Han Buddhist image of Samantabhadra holding a lotus stem and scripture, modified according to the Tibetan Buddhist depiction of Manjushri. Furthermore, several frontispieces, including those in Volume One and Volume Two, show the main figures seated on Tibetan-style pedestals, surrounded by figures and swirling clouds, which are Han-style elements. This combination of "Tibetan-style main figures with Han-style surroundings" is a new artistic trend influenced by Tibetan art that emerged in Buddhist art since the Yuan Dynasty, passing through the Yongle and Xuande periods. The most distinctive aspect of the artwork is found in the frontispiece of Volume Five. After presenting Sakyamuni Buddha, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra in both Han and Tibetan styles in Volumes Three and One respectively, Volume Five transforms these figures into images of asceticism in mountain caves. Sakyamuni Buddha's depiction resembles the "Snow Mountain Great Master." The entire composition is outlined with gold lines and further shaded with gold to create textures on the mountain rocks, achieving an interesting balance between rough texture and ornate details.