Page 236 - Christie's, Important Chinese Works of Art, Hong Kong Dec 3 2021

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A VERY RARE EMBROIDERED THANGKA 明十五世紀 刺繡四臂觀音唐卡
DEPICTING SHADAKSHARI LOKESHVARA 來源

MING DYNASTY, 15TH CENTURY 歐洲私人舊藏，1990 年代購於英國
Finely embroidered in bright silk satin threads on a blue cotton 亞洲私人舊藏，2002 年入藏
ground, to depict the central figure of Shadakshari Lokeshvara
seated upon a lotus flower head, the stem rising from a body of 出版
water flanked by mountains. The four-armed Lokeshvara holds Jacqueline Simcox Ltd 廣告，《Chinese and Central Asian
prayer beads in his raised left hand and a lotus flower in his raised Textiles, Selected Articles from Orientations 1983-1997》，香港，
right while his primary two hands are held together at his chest 1998 年，頁 235
with palms touching. His feet are upturned in vajrasana. Three
figures float in aureoles above him in similar postures, from left to 拍品係可以確定為明代早期的銘文唐卡，為唐卡中的珍罕之品。本唐卡
right, Shakyamuni Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, and the teacher 或為西藏薩迦派上師贈送中原上師之珍貴禮品，歷經五百餘年精心珍
Sakya Pandita (b.1182-d.1251); two further deities, Green Tara 藏，保存良好，極為難得。薩迦派在西藏佔有統治地位，並於 15 世紀及
and Jambhala, are positioned at the bottom corners, each figure 更早時期被吸納於北京宮廷之中。
is identified in Tibetan Uchen script with the prefix “Homage 唐卡下方邊緣中央的銘文提供了該作品的西藏專員拉贊·南寬·維色
to…”. A further inscription at the lower border in Tibetan reads （Rabjam Namkha Odzer）姓名，雖然目前沒有關於這位歷史人物（可
yon gyi bdag bo rab ‘jam pa namkha’ ‘od zer bzhengs: ??i ching da Shen 能是一位上師）的任何資料。但是可以明確的是，他是藏傳佛教薩迦派
legs par ‘grub bo which may be translated as, ‘Commissioned by the 的僧侶。在十二世紀，薩迦派即在西藏佔有統治地位，因此薩迦班智達
patron Rabjam Namkha Odzer. May Daiching Dashen be well- 即被納入唐卡右上方的構圖之中。在唐卡銘文中似乎還有一個中文名
accomplished.' 詞，譯作藏語“Daijing Dashen”，而“dáshén”[ 大神 ] 一詞可能意味著
19¬ x 16æ in. (49.8 x 42.7 cm.) “導師”或“專家”。雖然這個名字不甚明解，但卻可以通過倒轉使用
HK$800,000-1,200,000 US$110,000-150,000 一個藏文字母拼寫此詞，來證實此為一音譯詞，因為所有的音譯詞，皆
如此般這樣出現在藏文書寫之中。
PROVENANCE
A European private collection, acquired in the 1990s in the UK 本拍品附 2021 年 4 月 30 日 Paleo Labo Radiocarbon Dating 碳 -14 測試，
An Asian private collection, acquired in 2002 其結果與本拍品之定年相符合。
LITERATURE
Chinese and Central Asian Textiles, Selected Articles from Orientations
1983-1997, Hong Kong, 1998, p. 235, in an advertisement from
Jacqueline Simcox Ltd
It is very rare to find inscribed Thangkas dating to the early Ming
dynasty. This example, in remarkably good condition, was carefully
preserved as a precious artifact over most of the last 500 years. The
thangka was likely a gift from a Tibetan teacher to a Chinese teacher
from the Sakya school of Buddhism which held sway in Tibet and was
integrated into the Imperial court of China in the early 15th century.
The inscription at the center of the lower border of the textile provides
the name of the Tibetan commissioner of the work, Rabjam Namkha
Odzer, though unfortunately there is apparently no remaining recorded
information about this historical figure, possibly a teacher. It is clear,
however, that Rabjam Namkha Odzer was of the Sakya tradition of
Tibetan Buddhism in which twelfth-century Indian guru Sakya Pandita
holds an important place and the reason for the guru’s inclusion in top
right corner of the composition. The inscription also appears to include
a Chinese name transliterated into Tibetan as “Daiching Dashen.”
While ‘dàshén’[ 大神 ] which may mean “guru” or “expert”, this name is
generally unclear. The fact that it is transliterated, however, is confirmed
by the backwards use of one of the Tibetan letters spelling the name as
is customary with all transliteration appearing in Tibetan Uchen script.
The dating of this lot is consistent with the carbon 14 test result from
Paleo Labo Radiocarbon Dating, issued on 30 April 2021, no. 20-01118.

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