Page 82 - Blum Feinstein Tanka collection HIMALAYAN Art Bonhams March 20 2024

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A THANGKA OF SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA
WEST TIBET, 13TH CENTURY
Distemper on cloth; recto with a Tibetan dedicatory inscription in black ink in the
lower border: yon dag dge slong sbyin pa ye shes lags [sic: legs] so; “The donor,
the monk named Sbyin pa Ye shes, has favorably offered”.
Himalayan Art Resources item no. 1864
Image: 17 x 15 in. (43 x 39 cm)

$80,000 - 120,000

藏西 十三世紀 釋迦牟尼唐卡

Seated on a lion throne and encircled by rings of prismatic light is the Buddha
Shakyamuni, who is seen here raising his right hand in the gesture of reassurance
(abhaya mudra). Standing on the left is Vajrapani, the blue-skinned bodhisattva
wielding the vajra whereas on the right is Maitreya, the bodhisattva in yellow
who loosely suspends a waterpot from his hand. The Buddha is joined by a
small congregation of monks offering flower buds together with a duo of nagas
appearing at the lower corners of the throne.

Lastly at the bottom are five of the Guardians of the Ten Directions, who symbolize
the all-encompassing power to repel evil and bestow wealth to devotees. Starting
from the right is the wind god Vayu riding a deer; the water god Varuna riding
a makara; the zombie-riding Raksha overlooking the southwestern direction;
Yama as the god of death riding a buffalo; and the fire god Agni riding a goat.
Judging by the appearance of these directional guardians, this Buddha likely
belongs to a group of paintings that depict the mandala of the Medicine Buddha,
Bhaishajyaguru.

Much of the style concerning this painting is largely informed by the art that was
introduced into western Tibet from the North Indian regions of Kashmir. Here, the
triangular crowns of the bodhisattvas, use of shading to highlight contours of the
body, the round features of the forward-facing Buddha, and the long, narrow eyes
are traits typical of early West Tibetan figures. Comparisons can be made with a
painting of Guhyasamaja Manjuvajra (HAR 99652) and a Vairocana thangka in the
Rubin Museum of Art, New York (F1998.3.6; HAR 610).

Provenance
Tenzing Asian Art, 2016 (detail)

80 | BONHAMS
80 | BONHAMS