Page 53 - Ming Porcelain Sothebys march 2018
P. 53
his sumptuous thangka illustrates the Yongle Emperor’s (r. 1403-1424)
͉ږᔜ⃡ࡥ̔ശᘆᘌdႡʈၚರdԈᗇ͑ devoted patronage of Tibetan Buddhism and the extraordinary ritual
ᆀߧɢᚐܵᔛෂНdڮԴϤࣛಂᔛෂН T objects that were produced as a result. It is remarkably well-preserved,
ᖵஔ೯࢝dɽ׳ମf͉ۜ˸ᜄകఊᇞᔐϓd retaining the brilliant surface which has been created using a special and
൬ʈঃࣛd০جዹतdϓۜڥΈᘆd˲ڭπ particularly laborious satin stitch technique with silk ! oss (single thread). An
Գdۜഒλf˴ږЍdሾശᆪᐓdਫ਼৷ʘ
imperial quality is created through the extravagant use of yellow, a color that
ᅄdу˾ڌೌɪёᛆd͵˾ڌНجʘ̈ᕎf
possesses the highest symbolic quality as it signi" es both the emperor, and
ϤᗳႡࡥ̔dɗಃҒሧሮГᔛ֚֜ࡰʘ
renunciation and humility. Thangkas of this type were produced and presented
ۜfኽГᔛ̦ࣘ༱dࣛಃҒಀሮɽඎޜۜ
ʚГᔛఆྒ˸ʿԯ۬eГᔛυᄽഃf by the imperial court as gifts for Tibetan religious o# cials. O# cial accounts, in
particular the court record of daily events, Xizang shiliao, document numerous
͉ࡥ͍̔ʕᔐږᔜ⃡ၾছ߰Н͎ᕐࡌ྅fᔛ imperial gifts to Tibetan lamas, and to their temples and monasteries in the
ෂНอᙇݼʘᔜࠒෂוʿኢီෂוd࿁͑ᆀ Chinese capital and Tibet.
ಃᅂᚤଉჃdϾϤɚݼ່ѩւږᔜ⃡މ͉
ڋНf͉ڋНdመНʘdНښ౽ᅆʘᏝ྅dվ The central scene depicts Vajradhara in the posture of yabyum (‘father-
तᖯᚃᐼɪࢪd᎘Ꮦʞᘒ˂ڿd˾ڌʞ౽ν mother’) with his consort, Prajnaparamita. According to the Sakya order and
Ըfছ߰Н͎dɗɽ࠱Нছ߰تᖯε Karma orders of the New (Sarma) School of Tibetan Buddhism, which had
ʘʷԒd˾ڌ౽ᅆတdɽ࠱НʕdመНޫ˸
Չމ͎fᕐࡌ྅d͎މ౽ᅆd˨މฉᅑdɚ٫ᕐ signi" cant in! uence in the court of the Yongle Emperor, Vajradhara is the
ࡌഐΥdᄿաɽ࠱ࢯڦւd˸Ϥᗇࢻ٤f Primordial Enlightened Being (Adi Buddha), the embodiment of all Buddhist
ᝈ͉ۜdږᔜ⃡˓ܸฆᛃdܵږؔ wisdom and the teacher of all tantras. He wears a " ve-pronged crown, which
ᅄॎৰงᖝθซe๘ʘമːʿږཕ symbolizes the Five Dhyani Buddhas. An anthropomorphic representation of
˾ڌ٤౽ᅆeН͎໐੭ᎀུमЕdՇ٫ʝ the Mahayana text of the same name, Prajnaparamita represents supreme
ૐdመছືdˀ݈ช֜ᙂաf wisdom and according to the Mahayana school, the Mother of all the Buddhas.
Thus their pose embodies the union of wisdom (female) and compassion
(male) that is believed by many Mahayana Buddhists to be necessary for
enlightenment. The sensuality of these " gures extends to the smallest
details, as evidenced in Vajradhara’s delicately curved " ngers that clutch a
vajra (thunderbolt scepter denoting clarity of mind) and a ghanta (prayer bell
associated with wisdom), the delicate rows of beads of Prajnaparamita’s girdle
and the intimate gaze locked between the two " gures.
