Scroll of Buddhist Images

This is the only surviving painting from the Dali kingdom, in what is now Yunnan and roughly concurrent with the Song dynasty, and considered a Treasure of Nantian (the South). The colophon at the end of the scroll indicates it was completed during the Lizhen reign between 1172 and 1175, Zhang Shengwen being the principal artist. The painting is divided into four sections. The first one features Duan Zhixing, emperor during the Lizhen reign, making offerings to the Buddha, followed by one with hundreds of Buddhist figures, then one of canopied pillars for Sanskrit texts on protecting the kingdom and the Heart Sutra, and the last one of kings of sixteen kingdoms. The contents cover the range of exoteric, esoteric, and Dali Buddhism. The scroll is also painted with great refinement, the details of the clothes and headwear corresponding to documentary evidence. In terms of style, it is closely related to religious art of the Tang and Song dynasties in China, Tibetan Buddhist painting, and Southeast Asian Buddhist sculpture. The painting is thus of primary importance to the study of Dali history, religion, culture, and art as well as the regional exchange that took place at this time.