アスタナ出土の伏羲女媧図について（上）

Numerous paintings representing two mythological beings Fuchsi and Nü-wa form a unique group among the silk paintings from Astana which dates from the sixth to the eighth centuries. Their iconographic characteristics are in a category different from that of Tun-huang Buddhist paintings. They should rather be treated as a branch of figure painting. In China, pictures of Fu-hsi and Nü-wa are not only found in many literary references but are also found in considerable frequency in ancient stone reliefs and in stone engravings. However, the only known silk paintings of this theme are those found at Turfan. It is recognizable that this theme was repeatedly painted over about two hundred years, from the middle of the sixth century to the middle of the eighth century, and had a close relationship to funeral rites in this region. The four specimens owned by Ryūkoku University and the one in the Tenri Museum were brought from Astana by the Ōtani Expedition as were the three in the National Museum, Seoul, and the two at Lü-shun. The four now in the National Museum, New Delhi, and several others were removed from the region by Aurel Stein. There are more examples in China, including one recovered by Huang Wên-pi in 1930, and many others reported to have been excavated since 1959. The ten pictures brought by the Ōtani Mission are all undated, but they are presumed to be of the Khocho Kingdom period. on the other hand, most of the Stein versions are accompanied by tomb inscriptions of the late seventh century. The ones recently found by Chinese expeditions show a variety of characteristics of different dates. The author, who plans to make a comprehensive study of Fu-hsi and Nü-wa paintings from Astana, takes up the pieces collected by the Ōtani expedition and by Stein in the present number.