Identification and Analysis of the First and the Last paintings of dPag bsam ’khri shing: Part 1

This paper initially re-examines the identification of the figures depicted in the first and the last paintings of the dPag bsam ’khri shing, or the Bodhisattvāvadānakalpalatā painting set. This study focuses on four sets of paintings from block prints, widely known as the Narthang set, as well as two sets of 41 paintings each. All of the painting sets consist of one central painting with the rest arranged on both sides horizontally. The first and the last painting contain figures that are not represented in narrative scenes. These figures are those of the donor, author of the text, translator, and teachers, all of whom contributed to pro pagating the teaching of dPag bsam ’khri shing. The additional figures are from narratives, such as kings and the father and mother of Śākyamuni. Second, by identifying and analyzing the representations of the figures, the differences among and features of paintings from different provenances are elucidated. These differences show the history of the paintings and the donor’s motives for making a gift of the paintings. Finally, the sources of these figures are analyzed