Page 148 - Fine Chinese Art Bonhams London May 2018

124
AN UNUSUAL THANGKA OF A BON DEITY
Tibet, 17th century
Distemper on cloth,
78cm x 60cm (30 6/8in x 23 5/8in).
£8,000 - 12,000
CNY71,000 - 110,000

西藏 十七世紀 彩繪法像唐卡

Provenance: a European private collection

來源： 歐洲私人收藏

The deity depicted in yellow with three faces and six
arms, striding in alidhasana on a prostrate figures
while embracing his consort, his principal arms in
vajrahumkara mudra crossing the vajra and ghanta,
the other holding a sword, a flower vase, a trident
and a skull cup. His consort wrapping her left leg
around his waist while gazing into his primary face.
Both deities wearing skull crowns and brocaded
robes, surrounded by further emanations of the
couple. The upper register with Ratnasambhava,
Avalokiteshvara, Amitayus, Padmasambhava, Yeshe
Tsogyal and Shakyamuni. The lower register with
warriors and Buddhist protectors riding various
animals.

The central figure may possibly depict a form of
Chakrasamvara, which features prominently across
all Tibetan Buddhist schools and is the principal
transformative deity of both the Kagyu and Sakya
lineages. He is also the focal deity of the main
tantra of the Anuttarayoga Wisdom classification
124 of Buddhism, symbolising the fulfilment of Wisdom
and Compassion when blissfully embracing his
consort. Equal to a Buddha, Shamvara is beyond the
extremes of samsara and nirvana. Each of his faces
has three eyes, suggesting that he sees the threefold
world and knows the substance of the three times
(past, present and future).

125 *
A THANGKA OF SHRI DEVI
17th century
Distemper on cloth,
47cm x 35.3cm (18 1/2in x 13 7/8in).
£4,000 - 6,000
CNY36,000 - 54,000
十七世紀 彩繪吉祥天母唐卡

Shri Devi is the wrathful emanation of a number of
different peaceful female gods and deities. She is the
focus of the Anuttarayoga Tantras and the Mahakala
Tantra. Seated on a mule with the skin of her son as
a saddle, holding a skull cup and a vajra staff, the
central deity may be identified as Magzor Gyalmo,
the Glorious Goddess who Repels Armies, focus of
the Dakinyagnijihajvala Tantra of the Nyingma Tantra.
Her flaming hair is fronted by a tiara of skulls above
the wrathful face, the body encircled by a garland of
human heads, the mount galloping across a sea of red
blood with floating human remains, surrounded by the
goddesses of the Himalayas including Tseringma and
retinue attendant figures.

125
For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
140 | BONHAMS please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.