Page 186 - November 2016 London Bonhams asian Art

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A CHAKRASAMVARA MANDALA
A TIBETAN WOODEN ‘DRAGON’ CHEST A TIBETAN THANGKA OF A MANDALA 19th/20th century
17th century The square palace typically divided in
The lid attached to the main box with loops, 19th century triangular quarters for each direction and
brightly painted to the front with a central Ink, coloured pigment and gilt on cloth, subdivided in concentric circles, set within a
forward facing dragon, surrounded by four the central deity surrounded by eight lotus ground of red lotus lappets, encircled by a
smaller, amongst fire and cloud scrolls, above petals, each containing an emanation, row of lotus lappets, vajras, a river of blood,
rockwork and turbulent waves, the sides within a square palace with four entrances, and the Eight Channel grounds, separated by
embellished with shou symbols. 138cm (54 numerous other deities depicted in a lush the Eight Great rivers, all on a green ground,
1/4in) x 87cm (34 1/4in) x 46cm (18 1/8in) (2). landscape, amongst cloud scrolls and within below a set of lineage figures starting with
a pavilion, the mount woven with lotus stems, Chakrasamvara and consort at the centre
£1,500 - 2,000 chrysanthemums and auspicious characters. and terminating in two Sakya adepts at either
CNY13,000 - 17,000 HK$15,000 - 20,000 66cm x 45cm (26in x 17.3/4in) excluding the edge. 82.5cm (32 1/2in) x 64cm (25 1/8in)
mount.
According to Luca and Camilla Corona £1,000 - 1,500
(Wooden Wonders: Tibetan Furniture in £800 - 1,000 HK$8,000 - 10,000 CNY8,600 - 13,000 HK$10,000 - 15,000
Secular and Religious Life, Chicago, 2004, CNY6,900 - 8,600
p. 48), these boxes were used to store the
silks and brocades sent to Tibet by the
Manchu rulers as part of the intense policy of
exchange between the two countries, which
characterised the Early Qing Dynasty. The
designs and patterns of the Chinese fabrics
influenced greatly the design vocabulary of
these boxes in which they were stored, and
it is perhaps no surprise that the decoration
on the present lot strongly resembles that of
Chinese formal court attire.

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