Footnotes

Remarkably well conceived, the painting's composition seamlessly layers vignettes of intense activity and opposing movement into an overall symmetry. It is a prime example of the exoticism in Tibetan art that captures the initial interest of so many collectors. The palette is bold, ranging from murky lavender to brilliant orange, and the painting's boundless energy continues to excite the eye, with each vigorous figure revealing more detail the more they are dwelled on.

Mahakala Chaturbhuja, the protector of the Chakrasamvara Tantra, is depicted with his consort and furious retinue above the charnel grounds. Within them below, possessed bears, horses, buffalo, and the sort salivate with crazed eyes over the prospect of rent flesh from the mortals being eviscerated by Mahakala's worldly messengers. White-clad siddhas imbibing from their bone-pipes in the extreme bottom corners drink in the terrific vision while waving their damarus in seeming encouragement. A group of men dressed as muslims and Tibetans, and red-skinned demi-gods wearing gold laurel wreaths, observe from the bottom right corner. Meanwhile, above in the night sky, Padmasambhava and the lineage of Nyangral Ozer (12th century), the first 'treasure-revealer' of the Nyingma order, converge on the scene.

Provenance
The Mactaggart Collection


四臂大黑天唐卡
西藏中部，十八/十九世紀
布本設色。
喜馬拉雅藝術資源網2424號
畫心： 76.3 X 54.4釐米（30 X 21 3/8英吋）

300,000-500,000港元

此幅唐卡天衣無縫地將無比嘈雜繁忙、層疊對抗的場面整合成一幅對稱有緒的畫面，詮釋出典型的西藏藝術情趣，恰恰是許多藏家最初對此類藝術感興趣的原因。造型和豔麗的色彩盡顯高超繪畫技藝，從深暗的薰衣草色到炫麗的橙色，其無限的能量激發觀者的感官以及好奇心，豐富的構圖愈經細觀愈顯露出精彩的細節。

四臂大黑天乃「勝樂金剛密續」的護法神，此處大黑天與明妃以雙身形象出現，周圍八位隨從出現在屍陀林中。畫心下方，惡魂附身的熊、馬、水牛等動物虎視眈眈的覬覦著被大黑天的使者們屠殺的血肉。左下角，身著白袍的大成就者左手持骨管，右手打鞀鼓，同時眺望這血腥的場面。畫心右下角有一群穆斯林和西藏人，以及配戴金色月桂花環的紅膚半神。同時，在夜空中，蓮花生大師現身於大黑天正上方，寧瑪歐瑟智欽法系的上師們（十二世紀）聚集兩旁。

來源
Mactaggart私人珍藏