Dora Tan
Head of Sale, Specialist
This auction has ended. View lot details
You may also be interested in
Lot 3
A THANGKA OF RATNASAMBHAVA TIBET, 14TH CENTURY
Amended
24 May 2021, 19:00 HKT
Hong Kong, Six Pacific PlaceSold for HK$1,190,000 inc. premium
Looking for a similar item?
Our Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art specialists can help you find a similar item at an auction or via a private sale.
Find your local specialistAsk about this lot
Mark Rasmussen
International Director
A THANGKA OF RATNASAMBHAVA
TIBET, 14TH CENTURY
Distemper on cloth; the enthroned Tathagata surrounded by two hundred repeated forms of Shakyamuni.
Himalayan Art Resources item no.77113
Image: 64.3 x 44.5 cm (25 1/4 x 17 1/2 in.)
Distemper on cloth; the enthroned Tathagata surrounded by two hundred repeated forms of Shakyamuni.
Himalayan Art Resources item no.77113
Image: 64.3 x 44.5 cm (25 1/4 x 17 1/2 in.)
Footnotes
西藏 十四世紀 寶生佛唐卡
This painting originates from a set depicting the Five Wisdom Buddhas of Vajrayana Buddhism: Vairochana, Akshobhya, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha, and Amoghasiddhi. Each embodies Shakyamuni's purification of one of the Five Poisons, namely ignorance, envy, pride, desire, and greed. Occupying a central role in Vajrayana Buddhism, Ratnasambhava is found throughout tantric schools, most notably in the Anuttarayoga (Wisdom) tantra.
The treatment of the central figure is exquisite, with confident and fluid lines, particularly those marking the strands of hair across his forehead. He has a slender torso, following the tradition of Pala-style manuscript illustrations brought to Tibet by pilgrims and refugees in the 12th and 13th centuries. His right hand extends across his knee with the palm facing outward in varada mudra, the gesture of supreme generosity, and Ratnasambhava's designated mudra. Crowned and bejeweled, the Tathagata sits within an elaborate structure protected by mythical beasts. Most prominent are the vyalas, leonine creatures standing on the backs of elephants, and ridden by small boys clad in white. The upper section of the throne is surmounted by a winged garuda, while makaras emerge from golden scrolls around the green nimbus. As prescribed, galloping horses protect the throne base, which seats the final, two-hundredth Shakyamuni Buddha. When combined with the four other works from this set, the number of repeated Shakyamunis would total one thousand, enhancing the merit and efficacy of each thangka.
While the four other paintings are unknown in published records, the present thangka compares to an example of Amoghasiddhi held in a private collection, featuring a similar format and comparable treatment of the primary figure's hair (HAR 30651). Also compare with another 14th-century thangka of Ratnasambhava in the Newark Museum of Art (HAR 76002).
Published
Wisdom Publications, Wisdom Calendar, August, 1994
Provenance
Private European Collection
Acquired from the Private Collection of Ulrich von Schroeder in the late 1980s/early 90s
Saleroom notices
Please kindly note that the images published in catalogue are incorrect and the correct images are shown on the website.
請注意：此拍品圖錄圖片有誤，拍品正確圖片請以邦瀚斯網頁及拍賣現場所示為準。