A LARGE 'RURU-DEER' POLYCHROME FRESCO FRAGMENT, YUAN-MING DYNASTY China, 1279-1644. Delicately painted on stucco with the highlights neatly picked out in gesso with a fragment of the 26th tale of Jataka, the previous lives of Shakyamuni Buddha, showing the Ruru Deer flanked by two bodhisattvas clad in long flowing robes with flowers adorning their high chignons, the deer's fur 'of pure gold'. Provenance: From an old English private estate. The backside of the frame inscribed "HM N° 2". Condition: Remnants of ancient gilding to the gesso areas. The stucco with significant losses to corners and edges as well as structural fissures. The painting with touch-ups, areas of losses and subsequent revitalization. The gesso with minor losses. Dimensions: 127 x 99 cm (the frame) and 113 x 85 cm (the stucco fresco) Note the 'scudding clouds and flowing water' (xingyun liushui) style at the hems of the bodhisattva's robes, executed in finest detail and reminiscent of the Tang dynasty painter Wu Daozi. Unlike earlier modes stressing precise contours, the whirling spiritual energy of this brushwork gives the impression of qi, or inner life. This animated style has been popular with builders and decorators of Buddhist temples ever since. The books and scrolls carried by the bodhisattvas are probably for the teaching that the Ruru Deer was supposed to give at the end of the 26th tale: "In gratitude, the deer asked the king what he could do in return so that his journey to the woods was worth the trouble. The king then honored the deer as a teacher and asked him to mount the royal chariot and come back to the capitol to teach the Dharma. The deer accepted and was given a grand reception as an honored guest. The deer sat on the royal throne and in front of a great assembly, gave a very clear teaching. He explained that the Dharma, in all its complexity, with all its divisions and subdivisions, with all its rules and precepts, was actually very simple: generate compassion for all living beings, abstain from killing, from stealing, and so on, and give pleasure to all." Massive old wood frame with parcel-gilt decorations, the fresco behind glass, the backside with old wood paneling for additional protection. Literature comparison: For the complete 26th tale, go to Himalayan Art Resources, item #50216. 九色鹿本生經圖，元明時期 中國，1279-1644。释迦牟尼佛的前世在第26幅本生故事，泥質彩塑，鹿王的旁邊站著两个菩萨，身穿裝飾著花紋的长袍。 鹿身如披著"纯金"，閃閃發亮。綫條塑造流暢優美。 來源：英國私人遺產，背面框上可見"HM N° 2"。 品相：古時金彩剝落，灰泥的拐角和边缘以及结构裂缝的损失很大。畫面部分带有修補、缺損部位和翻新。 灰泥部分损失不大。 尺寸：框127 x 99厘米，泥塑113 x 85厘米