Page 72 - Bonhams Image of Devotion Hong Kong December 2, 2021

1027
A THANGKA OF THE SEVENTH DALAI LAMA, KALSANG GYATSO
TIBET, 18TH CENTURY
Distemper on cloth, with original silk borders, veil, and gilt copper alloy dowel
caps. Bearing an inscribed label in French describing the subject and a previous
inventory number ‘39G98’ stamped on the back of the top rail.
Himalayan Art Resources item no.4511
Image: 72 x 45 cm (28 1/4 x 17 3/4 in.);
With silks: 140.5 x 72.5 cm (55 3/8 x 28 1/2 in.)

HKD360,000 - 420,000

西藏 十八世紀 七世達賴喇嘛格桑嘉措唐卡

Portraying the Seventh Dalai Lama, Kalsang Gyatso (1708-57), this fine thangka
belongs to a set of thirteen depicting the Dalai Lama lineage. First created during
the life of the Seventh Dalai Lama, the original set also served as a model for
carved woodblocks that were later used to make prints on cloth and paper, some
of which in turn became underdrawings for painting sets. For a complete thangka
set preserved at the Palace Museum, Beijing, see Wang (ed.), Zangchuan fojiao
tangka, 2006, pp.10-23, nos.7-19.

Soon after his birth, Kalsang Gyatso, whose name means “ocean of good
fortune”, was declared the rebirth of the Sixth Dalai Lama. At eight years old,
he was enthroned and officially recognized as a Dalai Lama by the Kangxi
emperor (r.1661-1722). The boy later grew to become a successful religious and
political leader, arguably the most important Dalai Lama after the Great Fifth. He
established a number of institutions, such as the Kashnaki, a leadership cabinet
that remained at the apex of secular administration in Tibet until 1959. Kalsang
Gyatso also founded a school specializing in calligraphy, literature, and astrology,
the primary subjects required for Tibetan government service, and an archival
office that regulated all aspects of secular and monastic culture.

In this beautifully executed painting, the Seventh Dalai Lama is presented both as
an individual and as part of a lineage of incarnations. Dressed in multiple layers
of voluminous robes, he holds a manuscript in his left hand and a lotus blossom
in his right, under a sword and a sutra. His throne back, as well as each of his
robes and cushions, are covered in dense gold patterns achieved with confident
brush strokes. Above him, Tsongkhapa (founder of the Gelug school) and his two
main disciples are flanked by Vajrabhairava and White Tara. Within the grassy
foreground, Yama Dharmaraja, Palden Lhamo, and Vaishravana appear on their
prescribed mounts: a buffalo, mule, and snow lion. All the ancillary figures are
afforded equally exquisite details.

Compare with the Seventh Dalai Lama painting of identical composition from the
aforementioned Palace Museum set (ibid., pp.10-1, no.7). For another example of
the same composition but from a different Dalai Lama set, see HAR 31243.

Provenance
Private French Collection, by the early 20th century

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