Page 278 - Bonhams Chinese Art NYC Nov 9 2017

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A RARE BLACK-GROUND THANGKA OF VAJRAKILA
Tibet, 17th century
Distemper on cloth, finely painted depicting the three-faced and six-
armed winged deity in blissful union with his consort Diptachakra,
stamping over the splayed bodies of Maheshvara and Uma, holding
a pointed kila at the heart, gold vajras, a trident and flames entwined
around the index finger, the upper register with Padmasambhava
flanked by two other Nyingma lineage holders, the lower register with
a kila god between two further protector deities, unmounted.
71 x 54.5cm (28 1/8in x 21 1/2in)

£20,000 - 30,000
CNY180,000 - 270,000

西藏 十七世紀 黑底描金普巴金剛唐卡

Provenance: a European private collection

來源： 歐洲私人收藏

Vajrakila is one of the great protectors of Tantric Buddhism. According
to the Tibetan hidden texts, terma, the deity emerged in a previous
eon during the time of the Buddha’s taming of the wrathful Shiva-
Rudra, the arch demon of pride and egoism. Shiva was in fact
reborn as a powerful demon, in a malignant form of Rudra, as a
result of having broken the tantric vows in his previous lifetimes.
Unable to peacefully convince Rudra to recognise his erroneous
ways, the Buddhas in Akanishta heaven emanated from themselves
a powerful being to destroy him. Another narrative relates Vajrakila to
the wisdom manifestation of all Buddhas, emanating from the heart
of Vajrasattva to eradicate all ignorance and emotional afflictions
preventing the dawning of realisation. Vajrakila is particularly esteemed
in the Nyingma Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism because of his relation
with Padmasambhava, the ‘Precious Guru’ credited with bringing
Buddhism to Tibet and transmitting the Varjakila tantric collection of
texts in the region.

Compare a related thangka of Panjaranatha Mahakala, Tibet, 17th
century, illustrated in M.M.Grewenig and E.Rist, Buddha, Völklinger
Hütte, 2016, p.496, no.221.

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