Page 56 - Himalayan Art Macrh 19 2018 Bonhams

3026
A THANGKA OF AMITAYUS
CENTRAL TIBET, 14TH CENTURY
Distemper and gold gesso on cloth; verso with inscribed Tibetan red ink ‘om ah hum’
invocations behind each diminutive figure and a series of prayers and mantras devoted to
Amitayus arranged within the drawn outline of a stupa behind the central figure.
Himalayan Art Resources item no.58521
17 x 17 1/2 in. (43.4 x 44.7 cm)

$200,000 - 300,000
西藏中部 十四世紀 無量壽佛唐卡

This thangka has survived with exceptionally rich and well-preserved colors, with the
crimson red and tiger orange of the three principal figures framed by sage, mint green,
and blush pink elements within their garments and backgrounds, which are lavishly
heightened with raised gold gesso. The complexity of colors and techniques attest to the
remarkable dexterity of Newari painters.

The worship of Amitayus dates back at least as far as the early centuries of the Common
Era, as attested by the mid-2nd century Chinese translation of the Sukhavantivyuhasutra.
The doctrine of rebirth in Amitabha’s western paradise remains a popular belief in
Buddhism today.

Here, the Tathagata is flanked by the standing bodhisattvas Padmapani to his right,
and Mahasthamaprapta to his left. Six further seated bodhisattvas accompany him in
registers immediately above, constituting the conventional group of eight bodhisattvas.
Amitayus sits on a lotus throne of curling petals resembling waves. Three female deities
are depicted in the lower register with four peacocks, the vehicle of Amitayus.

The painting’s style reflects the Central Tibetan tradition, employing Newari artists to
build on the foundations set by the Pala style of Northeastern India by the turn of the
13th century. The almond-shaped curving eyes, long nose, and pronounced lower lip
resemble the style of wall painting in Shalu monastery, dating to the 13th century.

The incorporation of meditating Buddhas in roundels on the central figure’s textiles
compares to an example in the Metropolitan Museum published in Kossak & Casey,
Sacred Visions, New York, 1998, p.107, no.23c; and another of Buddha Akshobhya
published in Pal, Himalayas, Chicago, 2003, p.206, no.134. Related work was also sold
by Sotheby’s, New York, 26 March 1998, lot 120.

Provenance
David Tremayne Ltd, London, 30 June 1987
Private European Collection

(verso 3026)

54 | BONHAMS