Page 59 - Bonhams Chinese Art September 2015 NY

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vArious owners

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A chinese thAngkA of A drAlhA A thAngkA of A tsongkhApA refuge field
19th century 19th century
The central warrior seated astride a white horse, holding a riding Distemper on cloth, with the Gelug patriarch seated in padmasana at
crop in his right hand, flanked with eight warriors, all trampling upon the top of a tree rising from a pond at the base of the image, typically
demons, a suit of armour, weapons, silks and fruits arranged as depicted with a Book of Wisdom and a sword, the left hand cradling
offerings towards the bottom, surrounded with mythical beasts, the a begging bowl in dhyanamudra, the Gelug lineage represented with
Five Buddhas seated across the top of the scene, with a wrathful an arrangement of lamas to the left and right and a field of lamas and
Vajrapani to the right and Padmasambhava to the left, mounted on silk deities below, above a collection of lamas topped with Manjusri and a
brocade on a gilt-metal roller. blue Vajradhara flanked with Mahasiddhas, mounted on silk brocade
87.5cm (34 1/2in) x 54 cm (21 1/4in) and with a covering. 52cm (20 1/2in) x 78cm (30 3/4in)

£2,500 - 3,500 HK$30,000 - 42,000 £2,000 - 3,000 HK$24,000 - 36,000
CNY24,000 - 34,000 CNY19,000 - 29,000

The present lot likely depicts a group of Dralha known as the Nine Enemy
God Brothers. A Dralha is a native Tibetan god subjugated into Buddhism
by the guru Padmasambhava and kept under scrutiny by a wrathful
Vajrapani; both of whom can be seen flanking the top row of deities. It
is difficult to pinpoint which brother the red-faced warrior represents;
compare with a thangka, Mongolian 19th century, in the Rubin Museum
of Art (illustrated on www.himalayanart.org item no. 65613) representing
the nine brothers with Dralha Tatug Karpo in the centre and a similar set of
animals and offering objects across the bottom.

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