Page 108 - Blum Feinstein Tanka collection HIMALAYAN Art Bonhams March 20 2024

Depicted at the center of this Nepalese paubha is the conflated Hindu and
Buddhist deity Shristhikantha Lokeshvara, or Rato Macchendranath, in Nepali.
This obscure form of Avalokiteshvara is predominantly connected to the
Newar culture of the Kathmandhu Valley. Origins of the deity derive from the
Karandavyuha Sutra, which describes him as a universal god from which Hindu
deities emanate. This Buddhist god surrounded by Hindu deities in a celestial
orbit, shows a well-integrated visual synthesis between Buddhist and Hindu
iconography in the Kathmandu Valley. Set within a carved torana echoing the
regional wood carved designs, this painting highlights a blended religious fusion
within local Kathmandu traditions.

The prototypical iconographic form portrays the Buddhist deity with red color,
standing with one face and two arms, as depicted on another Nepalese example
from the same period (HAR 100038). He wears a snake skin wrapped around
his neck, antelope skins over his left shoulder, another tied around his waist,
along with a flared dhoti, in a similar manner to the deity’s appearance in his
Buddhist emanation as Avalokiteshvara Saharabhuja Ekadasamukha (Grewenig
& Rist (eds), Buddha: 2000 years of Buddhist Art, 232 Masterpieces, Völklingen,
2016, p. 423, no. 184). The Five Tatagathas, Buddhist deities of the cardinal
directions, surround the upper register. The fifth of this set, Buddha Amitabha,
is conventionally located in effigy atop Lokeshvara’s crown surmounted by
Vajrasattva. Vajrapani and Manjushri sit within mountainous peaks, with Sudhana
and Hayagriva below set in lush green hills. All these Buddhist deities are
presented in sizable scale around Shristhikantha Lokeshvara.

Of smaller size, but delicately rendered, are the Hindu gods all emanating from
the Lokeshvara from a thin golden tether. Each arises from a different part of the
deity’s body as described in the text; Surya, the sun god and moon Chandra,
the moon god arise from the eyes, Shiva from the forehead, Brahma from the
shoulder, Vishnu from the heart, Sarasvati from the teeth, Vayu from the mouth,
Bhudevi from the feet, and Varuna from the belly. All are set against a red
backdrop including a multi-headed Shiva lingam along the lower left, in a fully
integrated Buddhist and Hindu domain.

The interwoven Hindu and Buddhist realms are set within regional visual traditions
of the Kathmandu Valley. The ‘rice-grain’ pattern as well featured along the
base of the shrine is a local design associated with the Khasa Mallas of western
Nepal (Alsop, “The Metal Sculpture of the Khasa Malla Kingdom” in Singer &
Denwood (eds.), Tibetan Art, Towards a Definition of Style, 1997, pp. 68-79).
The motif is often engraved along the hems of deities’ robes, illustrated in this
manner on a gilt Buddha from the 13th/14th century (Bonhams, Paris, 14 June
2022, lot 33). Furthermore, especially late Malla paintings, employ the articulation
of architectural elements as a dominant feature, illustrated here with the torana
and decorative columns. Another paubha of Ganesha from the 15th century
(Lot 735), demonstrates this long architectural component, but the 18th century
Vaishnavaite temple (Lot 738) illustrates the full integration of this feature into
paubhas. This inventiveness of the Newar culture to include an architectural
framework thus creates a context for these scenes. This creating a visual event
of these rites, if furthered captured in the lower register by those participating in
these rituals. (detail)

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