Page 52 - Himalayan Art Macrh 19 2018 Bonhams

3025
A THANGKA OF RATNASAMBHAVA
TIBET, 14TH/15TH CENTURY
Distemper and gold gesso on cloth; verso with Tibetan ‘om ah hum’ invocation behind
each diminutive figure and a stupa-form Tibetan inscription in red ink behind the central
figure consisting of the Kadam Buddhist creed followed by invocations to Saravid
Vairocana and Ratnasambhava; with later cloth mounts.
Himalayan Art Resources item no.61578
23 5/8 x 20 in. (60 x 50 cm)

$60,000 - 80,000

西藏 十四/十五世紀 寶生佛唐卡

Seated in meditation with his hands positioned in his identifying gesture of varada
mudra, this magnificent Ratnasambhava is surrounded by a field of golden Shakyamuni
Buddhas. The painting is elegantly conceived with clear curvilinear lines and vivid colors,
creating a potent image of vigor and beauty.

Another notable aspect is the painter’s use of the gesso technique, manipulating the
viscosity of the paint for the sumptuous jewelry worn by Ratnasambhava, creating
a sense of texture on the surface. Meanwhile, every figure in the composition is
meticulously executed to express a vibrant dynamism. The iconography is quite rare,
depicting Ratnasambhava flanked by ten seated bodhisattvas holding attributes, eight of
which may be the Great Bodhisattvas (ashta mahabodhisattva).

On close inspection, iconometric calculations for proportions of the Buddha image
can be detected in the painting. For example, in the center of the composition, under-
drawings are visible on the figure’s sash due to loss of paint from contact with water.

Compare with other significant examples published in Rhie & Thurman, Worlds of
Transformation, New York, 1999 p.418, no.163; and Kossak & Casey Singer, Sacred
Visions , New York, 1998, p.119, no.28.

Provenance
J.A.N. Fine Art, London, late 1980s/early 1990s
Private European Collection

50 | BONHAMS