This paper expounds on previous research of the themes and content of several silk paintings unearthed from the top chamber of the Hongfo pagoda of the Western Xia dynasty. This paper identifies the star gods in two pictures entitled Tejaprobaha Buddha and the Eleven Star Gods and confirms that an image previously supposed to be of law-protecting guardians in fact depicts the moon god. The author additionally puts forward several new opinions about the figures in the pictures King of Xuanwu, Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara, and Vairocana, and explore the character and development of the Thousand Buddhas and Law-Protecting Gods. This research also demonstrates that the style and theme of these silk paintings are rarely found in other regions, and are thus highly valuable for studying the development of religious art in the Five Dynasties, Song, and Yuan dynasties.
