
Dora Tan
Head of Sale, Specialist
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HK$160,000 - HK$200,000
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Head of Sale, Specialist

International Director
西藏 十三/十四世紀 彩繪《時輪金剛密續》
The leaves of this manuscript are designed in an archaistic format that recalls the short and wide palm-leaf sutras of Northeast India, Buddhism's heartland. The illustrations of Tibetan monastic hierarchs and lay nobility are painted in bold colors, embellishing each page without distracting from the lines of fine calligraphy. This style and format predate the emergence of the Gelug school, and therefore the manuscript can be attributed to the 14th century or earlier.
Given that the Kalachakra Tantra is composed of 213 single-sided pages of text in the Dege Kanjur (a key printing of the Tibetan Buddhist canon), it is reasonable to presume that the present iteration, with 117 double-sided text pages, represents a complete version. Included are the title page and frontispiece (both in partial condition), and its colophon at the end, which lists several donors.
The Kalachakra Tantra is a highly influential body of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism, depicting a mythic reality whereby cosmic and socio-historical events correspond to processes in the bodies of individuals. These teachings are meant to lead to a transformation of one's body and mind into perfect Buddhahood through various yogic methods (Sopa et al., The Wheel of Time, Shambhala, 1991, pp.62-77). The famous mythic kingdom of Shambhala is introduced by the Kalachakra Tantra.
Please note the lot's colophon identifies several donors, who lived in the 14th century and were associated with Jonang monastery. See the lot's condition report for more information.