
Mark Rasmussen
International Director
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Sold for US$10,075 inc. premium
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International Director

Head of Sale, Specialist
西藏 十八世紀 蓮花生大士居淨土唐卡
Packed with fine detail, this composition depicts Padmasambhava in his palace atop the Copper Colored Mountain. Padmasambhava has resided in this Pure Land paradise since leaving Tibet. He is accompanied by his two consorts, and worshipped by numerous lamas and kings lucky enough to have been reborn there. Above the four-storied golden palace, celestial gods and goddesses dance and play music. The top register is centered by Brahma in his own palace, flanked by Palchen Nga Gyal and Longchenpa on either side. In the prominent orange mountain caves below, yogis are secluded in tantric practice. On the other side of the water in the foreground, tigers, snakes, demons, and cannibals perform gruesome activities, forming a stark contrast with Padmasambhava's paradise. This was a popular subject in 18th- and 19th-century Tibet. A similar composition is published in Rhie & Thurman, Wisdom and Compassion, New York, 1991, pp.362-3, no.149.
Provenance
Private New Jersey Collection before 1969