
Dora Tan
Head of Sale, Specialist
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Sold for US$5,100 inc. premium
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Head of Sale, Specialist

International Director
西藏 十九世紀 斯巴霍唐卡
This rare type of painting, known as Sidpaho, contains a collection of astrological, calendrical, and elemental symbols. It is intended to be both an instructional tool and an auspicious talisman, bringing good fortune to the viewer. The composition centers on a tortoise—an emanation of bodhisattva Manjushri—lying on its back. Its belly displays a roundel containing the Nine Magic Numbers, surrounded by the Eight Chinese Trigrams, with the Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals along the circumference. Manjushri, Shadakshari, Amitayus, and Vajrapani appear at the top of the painting. On the left side, below Manjushri, is the ten-letter Kalachakra monogram, followed by vertically arranged protective seals. At the very bottom, auspicious verses and protection mantras are inscribed against a black background. On the opposite side, the Seal of Padmasambhava, a set of nine squares, is illustrated above another set of protective seals. Compare to a similar composition published in Van der Wee, A Tale of Thangkas: Living with a Collection, 1995, pp.144-146, fig.67.
Provenance:
Private English Collection, acquired in the late 1990s
Christies, Paris, 10 December 2013, lot 128