Page 74 - CHRISTIE'S Himalayan and SOutheast Asian Works of Art 09/13/17

This rare group of ten Blue Beryl paintings can be
identifed as follows:

(A) Diagram of divination through urinalysis from
the “Subsequent Tantra:”
(B) Moxibustion (burning of moxa or other
(B) substances on the skin to treat diseases or to
produce analgesia) and points for minor surgery,
anterior and posterior views from the “Subsequent
Tantra:”
(C) Moxibustion according to the “King of the
Moon” treatise, anterior and posterior views from
the “Subsequent Tantra;”
(D) Bloodletting channels and moxibustion from
the “Subsequent Tantra;”
(E) A Posterior View of Vulnerable Points from the
“Exegetical Tantra;”
(F) Localization of the purulence of the viscera
from the “Instructional Tantra;”
(G) Course of Lifespan Principle (through capillary
system) from the “Exegetical Tantra;”
(H) The frontispiece Outlines of Treatment and
Diagnosis with depictions of Bhaishajyaguru from
the “Root Tantra;”
(I) An anterior view of vulnerable points from the
“Exegetical Tantra;”
(J) The four stems of the root of the methods of
treatment from the “Root of Treatment.”

Beautifully painted in vibrant colors with fnely
rendered script, these paintings are both
scientifc manuals and masterful works of art.
Until recently, the most comprehensive English
language discussion of Tibetan medical practice
can be found in the publication by H. Abrams
entitled Tibetan Medical Paintings: Illustrations to
the Blue Beryl Treatise of Sangye Gyatso (1653-
1705), published in 1992. Then, in 2014 the Rubin
Museum of Art presented an exhibition and
corresponding publication titled Bodies in Balance:
The Art of Tibetan Medicine (New York, 2014) on
this vast and complex subject, deepening western
understanding of this important ancient medical
corpus and unique artistic tradition.

(D)