Page 64 - Bonhams Indian and Himalayan Art March 2016 New York

There are key elements that demonstrate this thangka is not by the hand of the master, but
instead made in one of his workshops either during his life or shortly after his death. Firstly,
there is not quite the same adroit care given to faces, hands, or animals that typifies Choying
Dorje’s work. Secondly, his paintings are known for their very close awareness of Chinese
material culture, wherein a porcelain vase or huanghuali brush pot seem to be observed from
originals. While there are allusions here in their shape, the various objects are instead colored
monochromatically. As such the present example is closely related to a workshop production of
the same subject, which forms part of a complete set held in Palpung Monastery (Fig. 1, also see
ibid., p. 166, fig. 5.9).

While these two thangkas are similar in composition and style, they are not copies of each
other. They clearly derive from the same original composition, and yet each exhibits countless
differences. Figures vary in age and accouterments. The couch on which Shakyamuni rests has
an additional tier of lambs or deer at its base in our version. Their palettes also vary significantly.
The present thangka’s lighter tonal variations between cyan and lavender in the sky and purple
in the rocks below, are replaced by more saturated blues and greens, giving the forms in the
Palpung versions a harder edge. The faces within the present thangka are less generic and
uniform, showing greater diversity in skin tones, facial types, and nuanced expressions - and their
draftsmanship seems more highly skilled. These elements suggest that the present thangka is a
slightly fresher, earlier, take on the original composition, compared to the Palpung version.

But for all their changes, core elements of the composition remain: the two dogs, an ascetic near
Shakyamuni’s feet, musicians in top left corner, etc. Thus, while certainly deriving from some
original design by the Tenth Karmapa, each shows great artistic license given to the artist(s).

The appearance of this thangka provides the very first opportunity to examine two versions
of the same subject produced by the Tenth Karmapa’s workshop. It therefore, offers a host of
potential insights into understanding the life and practices of the Karma Kagyu lineage under his
provision. The aforementioned nuances between the two paintings demonstrate an enormous
amount of artistic freedom – once again in stark contrast to the codified practices of the Gelugpa
guilds. They suggest that, beyond the style and composition, even at the heart of the workshop’s
ethic is a resistance to Gelugpa hegemony and a preservation of the Karma Kagyu’s identity – a
speculation that can only be made now that this painting has come to light.

Referenced
HAR - himalayanart.org/items/61461

Provenance
Private UK Collection acquired in London, 2010

Fig. 1
Passing into Nirvana
(Ninth painting from a set of nine
depicting the Twelve Deeds of Buddha)
Tibet, 17th century
Pigments on cloth
24 x 16 7/8 in. (61 x 43 cn)
Palpung Monastery Collection
Image Courtesy of Shechen Archives

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