
Mark Rasmussen
International Director
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US$10,000 - US$15,000
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International Director

Head of Sale, Specialist
中原 約十四世紀 大黑天紋織錦
This intricate woven panel depicts a rare form of Mahakala encircled by a ring of multicolored flames. The figure's facial features, attributes, and accessories are meticulously outlined. Included is a staff with a jagged double edge and a sun-and-crescent-moon pommel resting horizontally on his central forearms. The panel would have been part of a larger textile hanging, likely depicting several mahakalas of differing iconography. See a closely related silk panel, carbon dated to the 14th-15th century, published in Spink & Son Ltd., The Art of Textiles, London, 1989, no.22.
The figural style of the panel's Mahakala appears to be aligned with the Buddhist art of the Dali Kingdom (10th-13th century). His expression of "wrath without fury" (Wei Er Bu Nu), for example, is characteristic of wrathful deities from Dali. The emphasis of strength through exaggerated muscles, such as his bulging forearms, is also consistent with Dali sculpture and painting. See a gilt bronze sculpture of Trailokyavijaya in the collection of Yunnan Museum, China (HAR 8073); also refer to the seven forms of Mahakala within the famous Dali Kingdom Buddhist Scroll by Zhang Shengwen at National Palace Museum, Taipei.
Provenance
Acquired from the European Art Market, early 2000s