Page 18 - Bonhams May 11th 2017 London Thangka Collection

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37 Meditational deities perform the function of an imagined object of meditation
for the observer/meditator. The object can be static, or dynamic, and worked
46 into a ritualised series of active meditation visualisations following a traditional
set of guidelines. There are a larger number of peaceful appearance deities
49 in this collection with a smaller semi-peaceful assortment and six wrathful
16 | BONHAMS appearance deities. The appearance of a deity does not determine function.
A peaceful deity might serve the function of a protector. A wrathful deity
could be a meditational deity and not a protector. The function of deities
needs to be learned on a case by case basis, although there are some
general guidelines.

Only one of the compositions in the collection is a true mandala: (Lot 29;
HAR 2214). There are many types and varieties of mandalas. The most
important and the most common reproduced in painting are ‘meditational
deity mandalas’ or more simply put, ‘deity mandalas.’ There are two
compositions that are mandala-like rather than being true mandalas (Lot 42;
HAR 2174, 2176). Both compositions depict the Buddhist pureland (or heaven)
of Shambhala associated with the Kalachakra cycle of tantric practice and
ritual. The pureland is depicted as a circle with geometrically arranged internal
spaces as if it were a mandala.

Protector Deities are a classification based on function or activity. They can
appear in any gender, or appearance, peaceful, semi-peaceful, wrathful,
or animal-featured. Buddhist protectors are tasked with protecting the
practitioner from external and internal dangers to religious life. There are two
general classes of protector deity based on their spiritual advancement, such
as high spiritual attainment and low spiritual attainment. The two types of
classes are called Wisdom Protector and Worldly Protector.

Two paintings in the collection are painted on a black ground which is special
for the protector deity known as Mahakala. The black colour is obtained from
cemetery ash and charcoal. Both of these compositions are in the same
Lhatog (Khampa Gar) painting style of Eastern Tibet. They do not appear to
be from the same set but are definitely from the same atelier.

Lakshmi (Lot 37; HAR 2196), is the only female in the protector deity group.
Although she has a third eye on the forehead, she is still considered to be
in Peaceful Appearance based on her narrow meditation-like eyes and
passive expression. In this collection all five deities are classified as Wisdom
protectors (Lots 46, 49, 47, 37, and cat.no.A; HAR 2187, 2215, 2208,
2196, 2158).