Page 69 - September 20th 2021, Indian and Himalayan Art Christie's NYC

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A PAINTING OF VAJRABHAIRAVA 西藏/內地 十八世紀 大威德金剛圖
TIBET OR CHINA, 18TH CENTURY
15¡ x 11º in. (39.1 x 28.6 cm.)
$20,000-30,000
LITERATURE:
Himalayan Art Resources, item no. 24682.

The ferocious god Vajrabhairava is the wrathful form of Manjushri
and a revered meditational deity in the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan
Buddhism, the dominant religious power in Tibet in the eighteenth
century. Vajrabhairava also became a prominent Buddhist icon in
China under the Qing emperors, who maintained direct links with
the dignitaries of the Gelugpa sect, including the Dalai and Panchen
Lamas. This form of Buddhism flourished within China under Qing
rule, inspiring the construction of numerous temples in and around
the capital of Beijing. In the eighteenth century, the Qianlong Emperor
promoted himself as a manifestation of Manjushri, establishing
his role as a spiritual and political leader. Images of Vajrabhairava,
therefore, carried both religious and political implications, promoting
Gelugpa spiritual practice while simultaneously endorsing the
heavenly mandate of the Emperor.
The present painting depicts Vajrabhairava in his solitary form,
trampling on the pantheon of Hindu gods below his feet. At top center
is Je Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug sect, flanked on either side
by two Gelugpa lamas. The figure at right, with the sword and book at
each shoulder, and the suggestion of a wispy moustache and beard,
resembles painted images of Changkya Rolpai Dorje (1717-1786), the
personal Buddhist instructor to the Qianlong Emperor and one of the
most important lamas in eighteenth-century China. For additional
reading on Changkya Rolpai Dorje, refer to lot 405.