Page 8 - Bonhams May 11th 2017 London Fine Chinese Art

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A LARGE PAINTED TEMPLE BANNER A RARE POLYCHROME WOOD SQUARE MANDALA
Tibet, 19th century Tibet, circa 18th century
The banner consisting of five tsakali, each painted with an image of a Painted with the stylised Sanskrit letter ‘Om’ in the centre within a
deity mounted on cloth, the lower section cut along the middle to form double triangle, encircled by a petal border, the Eight Great Charnel
two flaps. Grounds, and a band of floral scrolls.
118cm (46 1/2in) long 29.5cm (15 1/2in) square.

£2,000 - 3,000 £8,000 - 12,000
CNY17,000 - 26,000 CNY69,000 - 100,000

西藏十九世紀 彩繪法相桌蓋 西藏 約十八世紀 木彩繪壇城

Compare with a related set of twenty banners, central Tibet, Provenance: a German private collection
19th century, illustrated by P.Pal, Art of Tibet, Los Angeles, 1983,
pp.178-179. Pal notes that ‘it is possible that these miniature paintings 來源： 德國私人收藏
represent a type of picture known in the Tibetan religious tradition
as tsakali. Such pictures were used by masters in the initiation The Eight Great Charnel grounds refer to the cemeteries where the
ceremonies of adepts.’ dead are deposited. The Tantric texts that mention these grounds
describe them as sometimes peaceful, but at other times wrathful
venues, as is the case with the present lot. For example, in the
Chakrasamvara cycle of Tantra the Eight Great Charnel grounds are:
east, Gruesome; north, Dense Wild Thicket; west, Blazing with [the
Sound] Ur Ur; south, Terrifying; south-east, Marvelous Forest; south-
west, Interminably Gloomy; north-west, Resounding with the Sound
Kili Kili; north-east, Wildly Laughing.

Compare a similar Tibetan polychromed wood mandala, circa 18th
century, which was sold at Christie’s Amsterdam on 10 December
2002, lot 46.

6 | BONHAMS For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.