Details of outside cover of Buddhist Tantric text

In general the artist may have been aware of 2 different schools of painting , the vague lingering of the Pala style of the 11th-12th cent. and the contemporary style of Western Indian painting. From the first he has drawn his iconographic schema for the hieratic scenes without inheriting or acquiring even a faint trace of the Pala period style. From the narrative painting of Western India he has derived specific stylistic characteristics such as linear and pictorial qualities, mode of rendering the projected further eye, angularity of limbs, etc. Sophistry of either style lacking, but compensation in qualities of vivacious exuberance and spontaneity of lively folk art. The paintings were very likely done in the village of Ara in Magadha. Maybe the scribe, Jayaramadatta, was the artist. -- shown in slide IM77

Outside of one of two covers of a Cambridge University Library manuscript of the Buddhist Tantric text Kalacakratantra,

3 successive scenes of left show the worship of a hare, a goose and a peacock. As all three are on pedestals, may be some sort of totemism or of esoteric symbolism. Immediately after the dividing motif of the lotus a nimbate [sic], crowned figure stands in rigid, hieratic pose flanked by 2 adoring males. Then 3 animals with brown skin spckled with black who appear to be tigers, one perhaps chasing a man who is possibly climbing a tree. Subsequently another tiger appears, and the 2 animals fight. If [the] man is resting against the tree, however, may represent the Jataka story where the Bodhisattva offered himself to a hungry tigress who was about to devour her cubs. Then tiared [sic] figure who appears to have gashed his head with sword, the blood being drunk by sucimukhas. Then a crowned, nimabte [sic] figure seated on a lotus, fanned by 2 attendants. -- which, according to the colophon, was written in Bihar in the 15th cent. 128 palm leaves (13 1/4 x 2 1/4) written in Bengali script

Details of outside of cover of Buddhist Tantric text

In general red, yellow and green are preponderant. Both the red & green rather dull in tone. White is usually restricted to numbuses, & lotuses. A dark blue-black tone is employed for the general background which is spotted with flowers, and for a few of the figures. Immediate background within the arches etc. is painted in black or red. Brown has been frequently used for the complexion of most attendant figures and also in little dabs on the architectural designs. The outlines of the figures are drawn in pale red or black, in bold strokes and in no uncertain manner. -- Details shown in slide IM74. Top) shows what may be forms of totemism. Bottom) shows scene with tigers, etc

Sections of outside of second cover of Buddhist Tantric text

Showing scene in middle where a man is seen adoring a serpent coiled round a tree. The hood of the serpent is adorned with a jewel. Next two figures confront each other with clasped palms, the one to the right appearing to emerge from a pillar of fire. Followed by 2 more confronted figures, sitting, that on the left, multi-headed and with 4 arms, may represent Brahma. Then we see a horse and rider in landscape indicated summarily by a few rocks in the foreground and framed by 2 trees. In the foreground and behind the horse is a tiny figure who is actually standing outside the frame and on the ornamental border. -- see slide IM74 for further information

Details from the inside of cover of Buddhist Tantric text showing two Manusi Buddhas and the Bodhisattva Vajrapani (?)

Some of 10 standing figures, each under an arch, the top of which shows abstract representations of trees. They are oriented towards an ornate stupa in the centre. First figure is Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the next 7 figures are no doubt the 7 Manusi or Mortal Buddhas, usually painted yellow and represented alike, possibly with different mudras. Next is the dark figure of possibly the Boddhisattva Vajrapani who may have been holding a lotus with a vajra on it. Next came Maitreya