Author Affiliation: Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
摘要
The Author discussess four scenes from the life of the historical Buddha depicted in the Cave of the Peacocks (Kizil, Xinjiang), which today are preserved only in photographic form. Through an analysis of their iconographic structure, the pictures are compared both with Gandhāran compositions and with Indian and Central Asiatic depictions. A continuity emerges with the oldest figurative Buddhist tradition, together with original solutions, some destined to remain unique and others to constitute reference models for later Buddhist art. The relationships between the paintings of the Peacocks Cave and those found in the Stairs Cave is also examined in detail, determining the latter's derivation. Lastly, special attention has been paid to the space-time construction systems, which are clearly derived from the visual narration methods created by Gandhāran art.
