- Buddhist Art, Silk Road Studies, Xinjiang, Central Asian wall paintings on the Silk Road, Tibetan Art, Dunhuang Studies, and 29 moreDunhuang, Sir Aurel Stein, Paul Pelliot, Sogdian, Uyghurs, Turfan, Central Asian and Western Himalayan Art, Anthropology, Art History, Medieval Studies, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Tang Dynasty, China Tang~Song Dynasties, British Museum, Liao Dynasty (907-1125), Royal Geographical Society, Joe Cribb, Central Asian Studies, Tibetan Studies, Frantz Grenet, Nicholas Sims-Williams, Silk Road, Turfan Texts, Old Turkic, Old Uyghur, Central Asians/Sogdians in China, Sogdian art, Manichaeism, Abdurishid Yakup, and Inner Asian Art and Archaeologyedit
Building on the archival work of Caren Dreyer in the same volume I consider the astral iconography if this now almost completely destroyed ceiling composition from the "Nakshatra Cave Temple" in Sengim, Turfan Region, and I compare the... more
Building on the archival work of Caren Dreyer in the same volume I consider the astral iconography if this now almost completely destroyed ceiling composition from the "Nakshatra Cave Temple" in Sengim, Turfan Region, and I compare the iconography to other examples from Shorchuk and the Turfan area.
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This article introduces a now almost completely destroyed ceiling painting from the Turfan Region, from the so-called "Nakshatra Cave Temple" in Sengim. Our work was inspired by the preparation of a projection for the ceiling under the... more
This article introduces a now almost completely destroyed ceiling painting from the Turfan Region, from the so-called "Nakshatra Cave Temple" in Sengim. Our work was inspired by the preparation of a projection for the ceiling under the dome in the Humboldt Forum in Berlin (new permanent exhibition of the Silk Road), so we reconstructed the ceiling design. (In Hungarian).
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Among the Tocharian materials preserved in the Berlin Turfan collection, three votive tablets made of wood, THT 3998 (= III 7391), THT 4000 (= III 7592), and THT 4001 (= III 7590) occupy a special status. As the Buddha's image was... more
Among the Tocharian materials preserved in the Berlin Turfan collection, three votive tablets made of wood, THT 3998 (= III 7391), THT 4000 (= III 7592), and THT 4001 (= III 7590) occupy a special status. As the Buddha's image was depicted on one side, they have been preserved in the Museum für Asiatische Kunst, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. It is a fascinating question whether the Tocharian texts on the one side could be related to the Buddha images on the other side of these tablets. In this paper, THT 3998 is discussed from philological and art historical viewpoints. The Tocharian B text on this wooden piece, which concerns a child who is sick due to the disease caused by a female demon and explains how to protect a child from this disease, is comparable to the Mahāsāhasrapramardanī, one of the five tantric texts incorporated into the Pañcarakṣā. The double-headed Buddha on the other side would have a protective function. In view of these facts it is likely that THT 3998 can be regarded as an amulet.
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The article introduces the new permanent exhibition of the Silk Road. In this issue, Orientations featured Berlin's Museum für Asiatische Kunst (Asian Art Museum), which opened parts of its permanent galleries in the fall of 2021. The... more
The article introduces the new permanent exhibition of the Silk Road. In this issue, Orientations featured Berlin's Museum für Asiatische Kunst (Asian Art Museum), which opened parts of its permanent galleries in the fall of 2021. The museum is housed together in the partially reconstructed Berlin Palace along with the Ethnologisches Museum (Ethnological Museum), Stadtmuseum Berlin (Berlin City Museum), Kulturprojekte Berlin, and Humboldt University. (The article cannot be uploaded as a wish of the publisher).
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In this article I reconsider the reasons why the so-called ‘Sogdian deities’ became so well-known in Dunhuang (敦煌) studies, Zoroastrian studies and Silk Road studies and present new evidence that supports my original view that a small... more
In this article I reconsider the reasons why the so-called ‘Sogdian deities’ became so well-known in Dunhuang (敦煌) studies, Zoroastrian studies and Silk Road studies and present new evidence that supports my original view that a small painting on paper, P. 4518 (24), was made for a specifically Uyghur donor in Dunhuang, who was most probably Buddhist. It may also show Manichaean features, as Uyghur Buddhist art in the early period frequently did. Finally, I consider the possibility that the female deity on the right may have an astral meaning and is seated on a dog symbolising Sirius the dog star. This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the CC BY-NC 4.0 license.
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Review of "The Sogdians" https://sogdians.si.edu/ a major digital exhibition, exploring many features. I am arguing that this is a new digital format that could be a trendsetter for future publications. Interesting for the general public,... more
Review of "The Sogdians" https://sogdians.si.edu/ a major digital exhibition, exploring many features. I am arguing that this is a new digital format that could be a trendsetter for future publications. Interesting for the general public, visually stunning, but meticulous research, optional viewing of footnotes and even a bibliography in Zotero make it an excellent research tool. https://edspace.american.edu/silkroadjournal/2021/03/31/vol-18-now-available/#more-756
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This is the Chinese translation of my article "Wives and Patrons: Uygur Political and Artistic Influence in Tenth-Century Dunhuang" Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae Volume/Issue: Volume 56: Issue 2-4. (also available on... more
This is the Chinese translation of my article "Wives and Patrons: Uygur Political and Artistic Influence in Tenth-Century Dunhuang" Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae
Volume/Issue: Volume 56: Issue 2-4. (also available on thís academia page). This article studies the intercultural links between the Uygurs and Dunhuang in the tenth-eleventh centuries. Some of the biggest caves at Dunhuang show large-scale representations of Ganzhou Uygur brides as donors. It is argued that the marriage of a Chinese ruler of Dunhuang with the daughter of the Ganzhou Uygur kaghan acted as a catalyst for the formation of a new Sino-Uygur ruling class. A sketch and a painting from Dunhuang are examined in detail. Emphasis is on the appearance of new colours and decorative technologies such as applied gold leaf, iconography including the clothing of the figures and style, including facial features and mannerisms. It is concluded that Ganzhou Uygur brides as patrons played an important role in the formation of tenth-century Dunhuang art, and Uygur influence continued to grow in the eleventh century.
Volume/Issue: Volume 56: Issue 2-4. (also available on thís academia page). This article studies the intercultural links between the Uygurs and Dunhuang in the tenth-eleventh centuries. Some of the biggest caves at Dunhuang show large-scale representations of Ganzhou Uygur brides as donors. It is argued that the marriage of a Chinese ruler of Dunhuang with the daughter of the Ganzhou Uygur kaghan acted as a catalyst for the formation of a new Sino-Uygur ruling class. A sketch and a painting from Dunhuang are examined in detail. Emphasis is on the appearance of new colours and decorative technologies such as applied gold leaf, iconography including the clothing of the figures and style, including facial features and mannerisms. It is concluded that Ganzhou Uygur brides as patrons played an important role in the formation of tenth-century Dunhuang art, and Uygur influence continued to grow in the eleventh century.
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An important painting from Dunhuang from the 10th century (today in Musée Guimet in Paris) known as the “Assault of Mara” - was most likely painted for high-ranking Uygurs, who converted from Manichaeism to Buddhism as I already argued in... more
An important painting from Dunhuang from the 10th century (today in Musée Guimet in Paris) known as the “Assault of Mara” - was most likely painted for high-ranking Uygurs, who converted from Manichaeism to Buddhism as I already argued in my book (Russell-Smith 2005). This article was inspired by Dieter Schlingloff’s new book (Schlingloff 2015/2018) and his translation of the Dīghanikāya, which made it possible to identify all scenes on both sides of the composition for the first time. The unusual demon representations perhaps a reference to the Padmasambhava tradition, which first developed in Dunhuang in the 10th century, at the same time when this painting was most likely commissioned. It is important to emphasize that the unique combination of elements in the art of the regional centres on the Northern Silk Road cannot always be explained with known written sources but requires transdisciplinary research as demonstrated here. (First, Hungarian version)
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An important painting from Dunhuang from the 10th century (today in Musée Guimet in Paris) known as the “Assault of Māra” - was most likely painted for high-ranking Uygurs, who converted from Manichaeism to Buddhism as I already argued in... more
An important painting from Dunhuang from the 10th century (today in Musée Guimet in Paris) known as the “Assault of Māra” - was most likely painted for high-ranking Uygurs, who converted from Manichaeism to Buddhism as I already argued in my book (Russell-Smith 2005). This article was inspired by Dieter Schlingloff’s new book (Schlingloff 2015/2018) and his translation of the Dīghanikāya, which made it possible to identify all scenes on both sides of the composition for the first time. The unusual demon representations perhaps a reference to the Padmasambhava tradition, which first developed in Dunhuang in the 10th century, at the same time when this painting was most likely commissioned. Votive tablets and talismans are also used as comparative reference material. It is important to emphasize that the unique combination of elements in the art of the regional centres on the Northern Silk Road cannot always be explained with known written sources but requires transdisciplinary research.
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This was a paper delivered in 2002 at the Stein Day at the British Museum. I explain the British-Hungarian cataloguing project just completed at that time and refer to the meticulous archiving methods of Stein, who kept all correspondence.
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This paper (2005) shows my long-standing interest in the Vimalakirtinirdesa sutra and its representations in Dunhuang and beyond. I first wrote a paper on this topic as a student in the nineties. I would now probably revise the part about... more
This paper (2005) shows my long-standing interest in the Vimalakirtinirdesa sutra and its representations in Dunhuang and beyond. I first wrote a paper on this topic as a student in the nineties. I would now probably revise the part about the headdresses, but I upload it here as reference especially for the wall painting in Murtuk (Baixiha) which would deserve more attention.
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From: // The Ruins of Kocho. Traces of Wooden Architecture on the Ancient Silk Road. Ed. by Lilla Russel-Smith and Ines Konczak-Nagel Berlin, Museum für asiatische Kunst, 2016. P. 17 – 26. Brief description of wooden architectural... more
From: // The Ruins of Kocho. Traces of Wooden Architecture on the Ancient Silk Road. Ed. by Lilla Russel-Smith and Ines Konczak-Nagel Berlin, Museum für asiatische Kunst, 2016. P. 17 – 26.
Brief description of wooden architectural elements in Sogdiana: their role, decorations, states and methods of preservations, some recent finds
Brief description of wooden architectural elements in Sogdiana: their role, decorations, states and methods of preservations, some recent finds
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In: JAHRBUCH PREUSSISCHER KULTURBESITZ Band XLVII (2011) Herausgegeben von Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz Berlin, 2013. Der 47. Band widmet sich unter anderem dem Verhältnis von Archäologie und Politik und der gegenseitigen... more
In: JAHRBUCH PREUSSISCHER KULTURBESITZ
Band XLVII (2011)
Herausgegeben von Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz
Berlin, 2013.
Der 47. Band widmet sich unter anderem dem Verhältnis von Archäologie und Politik und der gegenseitigen Beeinflussung beider Sphären. Die Aktivitäten der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin in der kulturellen Bildung von Kindern sowie Pläne einer zeitgemäßen Präsentation islamischer Kunst und Kultur werden beleuchtet. Die Planung des Humboldt-Forums wird ausführlich vorgestellt: Die Direktoren des Ethnologischen Museum und des Museum für Asiatische Kunst formulieren ihr Konzept zur künftigen Neupräsentation der Sammlungen. Der Kulturmanager Martin Heller skizziert die Arbeit des Humboldt-Labs, das die inhaltliche Weiterentwicklung des Humboldt-Forums vorantreiben soll. Zwei aktuelle Forschungsprojekte dokumentieren die wissenschaftliche Auseinandersetzung mit Themen, die im Humboldt-Forum im Zentrum stehen werden: Dies ist im Hinblick auf das Ethnologische Museum und dessen Sammlungsbestände zu Nordwestamerika die Entwicklung von Übersetzungs- und Präsentationsformen in Kooperation mit Künstlern aus dieser Region. Im Museum für Asiatische Kunst werden in interdisziplinären Ansätzen und mit Kooperationspartnern entlang der Seidenstraße gefundene Kunst- und Alltagsobjekte untersucht.
Band XLVII (2011)
Herausgegeben von Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz
Berlin, 2013.
Der 47. Band widmet sich unter anderem dem Verhältnis von Archäologie und Politik und der gegenseitigen Beeinflussung beider Sphären. Die Aktivitäten der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin in der kulturellen Bildung von Kindern sowie Pläne einer zeitgemäßen Präsentation islamischer Kunst und Kultur werden beleuchtet. Die Planung des Humboldt-Forums wird ausführlich vorgestellt: Die Direktoren des Ethnologischen Museum und des Museum für Asiatische Kunst formulieren ihr Konzept zur künftigen Neupräsentation der Sammlungen. Der Kulturmanager Martin Heller skizziert die Arbeit des Humboldt-Labs, das die inhaltliche Weiterentwicklung des Humboldt-Forums vorantreiben soll. Zwei aktuelle Forschungsprojekte dokumentieren die wissenschaftliche Auseinandersetzung mit Themen, die im Humboldt-Forum im Zentrum stehen werden: Dies ist im Hinblick auf das Ethnologische Museum und dessen Sammlungsbestände zu Nordwestamerika die Entwicklung von Übersetzungs- und Präsentationsformen in Kooperation mit Künstlern aus dieser Region. Im Museum für Asiatische Kunst werden in interdisziplinären Ansätzen und mit Kooperationspartnern entlang der Seidenstraße gefundene Kunst- und Alltagsobjekte untersucht.
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Study of the iconography of a Goddess from the Turfan area from Yarkhoto (Jiaohe) Cave Temple 4.
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In: Jeong-hee Lee-Kalisch, Antje Papist-Matsuo (Hg.)
Ritual and Representation in Buddhist Art,
VDG Weimar, 2015
Band 2, Studien zur Ostasiatischen Kunstgeschichte, pp. 37-59.
Ritual and Representation in Buddhist Art,
VDG Weimar, 2015
Band 2, Studien zur Ostasiatischen Kunstgeschichte, pp. 37-59.
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This essay introduces the earliest known representations of planets and other stellar deities in East and Central Asian Buddhist art, especially in China. The five biggest planets, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury, were observed... more
This essay introduces the earliest known representations of planets and other stellar deities in East and Central Asian Buddhist art, especially in China. The five biggest planets, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury, were observed and named at an early stage in China. However, their anthropomorphic representations became popular only after the arrival of Buddhism. It is likely that Western traditions regarding their appearance were transmitted through India. In Buddhist sutras the planets are often described as paying homage to the Buddha and listening to his teachings, and this is how many paintings represent them. A Chinese painting from Dunhuang shows a seated Buddha (the Buddha of the Blazing Light) on a chariot surrounded by the planets, represented as human figures with their attributes. Such representation of this Buddha was always associated with the planets. This essay introduces later Chinese paintings as well as a hitherto misidentified Uygur example of this representation, and points out that the iconography of the planets remained remarkably constant in East Asian art. The essay also includes relevant sections of sutras, as these determined the iconographic method for showing the planets up to recent times in China, Japan and Korea. From Culture & Cosmos, Volume 10 no 1 and 2 (Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter 2006), special double, issue on The Worship of Stars in Japanese Religious Practice
Volume 10 was a collaboration with the The Centre for the Study of Japanese Religions at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, guest edited by Lucia Dolce.
Volume 10 was a collaboration with the The Centre for the Study of Japanese Religions at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, guest edited by Lucia Dolce.
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Much has been written about the extraordinary artistic, religious and historic importance of the Thousand Buddha Cave Temples at Dunhuang, in Gansu province, western China. One hundred and twenty years ago, on 2 May, 1879, a Hungarian... more
Much has been written about the extraordinary artistic, religious and historic importance of the Thousand Buddha Cave Temples at Dunhuang, in Gansu province, western China. One hundred and twenty years ago, on 2 May, 1879, a Hungarian expedition reached ...
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The Turfan Collection in the Museum of Asian Art in Dahlem is now closed in preparation for its move to the Humboldt Forum in the center of Berlin, where it will re-open in 2019. This article gives some background information to the... more
The Turfan Collection in the Museum of Asian Art in Dahlem is now closed in preparation for its move to the Humboldt Forum in the center of Berlin, where it will re-open in 2019. This article gives some background information to the history and future of this important collection.
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This article studies the intercultural links between the Uygurs and Dunhuang in the tenth-eleventh centuries. Some of the biggest caves at Dunhuang show large-scale representations of Ganzhou Uygur brides as donors. It is argued that the... more
This article studies the intercultural links between the Uygurs and Dunhuang in the tenth-eleventh centuries. Some of the biggest caves at Dunhuang show large-scale representations of Ganzhou Uygur brides as donors. It is argued that the marriage of a Chinese ruler of Dunhuang with the daughter of the Ganzhou Uygur kaghan acted as a catalyst for the formation of a new Sino-Uygur ruling class. A sketch and a painting from Dunhuang are examined in detail. Emphasis is on the appearance of new colours and decorative technologies such as applied gold leaf, iconography including the clothing of the figures and style, including facial features and mannersims. It is concluded that Ganzhou Uygur brides as patrons played an important role in the formation of tenth-century Dunhuang art, and Uygur influence continued to grow in the eleventh century.
Published in: Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae vol. 56 (2-4), 401-428 (2003).
Published in: Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae vol. 56 (2-4), 401-428 (2003).
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Please note that this article can be reached via the URL link given above - a PDF document will open showing the complete publication. The article gives a summary of the state of research up to 2012.
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This is the Flyer for our book. It is now available on-line under https://www.smb-webshop.de/museen-und-sammlungen/sammlungen/museum-fuer-asiatische-kunst/3662/the-ruins-of-kocho
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Im Zentrum der Ausstellung stehen Padmasambhavas acht Erscheinungsformen (Guru Tsengye). Sie sind in Thangkas, Masken, Ritualgegenständen, an Pilgerorten und in rituellen Tänzen verkörpert. Neben dem neunteiligen Thangka-Set und weiteren... more
Im Zentrum der Ausstellung stehen Padmasambhavas acht Erscheinungsformen (Guru Tsengye). Sie sind in Thangkas, Masken, Ritualgegenständen, an Pilgerorten und in rituellen Tänzen verkörpert. Neben dem neunteiligen Thangka-Set und weiteren Objekten aus der Sammlung des Museums für Asiatische Kunst und des Ethnologischen Museums werden neue, von einem tibetischen Maskenbauer hergestellte Cham-Masken präsentiert. - Mit einer DVD-Beilage.
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This volume is about the long-neglected, but decisive influence of Uygur patrons on Dunhuang art in the tenth and eleventh centuries. Through an insightful introduction to the hitherto little-known early history and art of the Uygurs, the... more
This volume is about the long-neglected, but decisive influence of Uygur patrons on Dunhuang art in the tenth and eleventh centuries. Through an insightful introduction to the hitherto little-known early history and art of the Uygurs, the author explains the social and political forces that shaped the taste of Uygur patrons. The cultural and political effects of Sino-Uygur political marriages are examined in the larger context of the role of high-ranking women in medieval art patronage.
Careful study of the iconography, technique and style sheds new light on important paintings in the collection of the British Museum in London, and the Musée national des Arts asiatiques-Guimet, in Paris, and through comparative analysis the importance of regional art centres in medieval China and Central Asia is explored. Richly illustrated with line drawings, as well as colour and black-and-white plates.
Careful study of the iconography, technique and style sheds new light on important paintings in the collection of the British Museum in London, and the Musée national des Arts asiatiques-Guimet, in Paris, and through comparative analysis the importance of regional art centres in medieval China and Central Asia is explored. Richly illustrated with line drawings, as well as colour and black-and-white plates.
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This is the table of Contents to our book published on the occasion of an exhibition with the same title at the Museum für Asiatische Kunst, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (7.9.2016-8.1.2017). Soon available online from www.smb-webshop.de
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Commissioned review article about Justin M. Jacobs: The Compensations of Plunder: How China Lost its Treasures, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press 2020, 348pp. See... more
Commissioned review article about Justin M. Jacobs: The Compensations of Plunder: How China Lost its Treasures, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press 2020, 348pp. See https://www.chbeck.de/zeitschrift-ideengeschichte-heft-xv_1-fruehjahr-2021/product/31823153
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... on the west wall, even though these are among the most important examples of Sui painting. ... opening chap-ter, they provide an introduction to the style and subject matter of Dunhuang art ... a synopsis: Granny is dying painfully... more
... on the west wall, even though these are among the most important examples of Sui painting. ... opening chap-ter, they provide an introduction to the style and subject matter of Dunhuang art ... a synopsis: Granny is dying painfully from the inside outwards, ' my bones cracking one by ...
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Page 1. Reviews of Books Divine Love in Islamic Mysticism: The Teachings of al-Ghaz¯Al¯I and al-Dabbâgh. By Binyamin Abrahamov. pp. xii, 190. London and New York, RoutledgeCurzon, 2003. DOI: 10.1017/S1356186303213468 ...
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Manichaean Art in Berlin Collections – A comprehensive catalogue of Manichaean artifacts belonging to the Berlin State Museums of the Prussian Cultural Foundation, Museum of Indian Art, and the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences, deposited in the Berlin State Library of the Prussian Cultural ...more
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Review of Sarah Fraser's important book.