496 henrik h. sørensen
Long Scroll with similar iconographical features.^20 Ritual implements
such as vajras and ghaṇṭās miniature stūpas; finger rings with vajras
and Tibetan-style phurbas; circular, votive clay seals reminiscent of
the clay-impressed images (Tib. tsa-tsa) known from Tibetan culture;^21
and several scriptures including dhāraṇīs and spells, diagrams of man-
dalas, and talismanic writing have also been recovered.^22 All in all this
hoard of treasures reveals that a variegated and rich Esoteric Buddhist
culture existed in Yunnan under the Nanzhao and Dali kingdoms.
Conclusion
Despite its richness and considerable diversity, the overall imagery
of the Esoteric Buddhist art from the Nanzhao and Dali kingdoms
is stylistically and iconographically relatively uniform. This is further
underscored by a loose comparison between the sculptural material
and the iconography as reflected in the Long Scroll. However, a loose
comparison with the contemporary Buddhist art found in the rest of
China reveals that the art associated with both the Nanzhao and Dali
kingdoms was influenced by Esoteric Buddhism to a degree rarely seen
elsewhere.
Stylistically the sculpture of Nanzhao and Dali art reflects Chinese
norms more than anything else, in particular those of Sichuan. How-
ever, various traits and features, which superficially may be referred
to as Southeast Asian, also occur. The latter are most easily detected
in the images of the famous Acuoye Avalokiteśvara as well as in the
characteristic half-lotus posture (padmāsana) common to Southeast
Asian Buddhist sculpture seen in many Buddha images from Dali.
The Long Scroll, with its impressive and extensive pantheon, rightly
occupies a central place in the art of the Dali kingdom, reflecting as
it does not only a variety of Buddhist cults and practices but also the
history of the Bai people in relation to Buddhism. The importance of
this painted scroll is further enhanced by the fact that it features many
iconographical forms that would appear to have been unique to Dali
Buddhism.
(^20) Jiang, Qiu, and Yunnan sheng wenhua ting wenwu chu Zhongguo wenwu yanjiu
1998, 71–80, pls. 64–157. 21
Jiang, Qiu, and Yunnan sheng wenhua ting wenwu chu Zhongguo wenwu yanjiu
1998, 86–87, pls. 172–176. 22
See Sørensen, “Esoteric Buddhism in the Nanzhao and Dali Kingdoms (c. 800–
1253),” in this volume.