Page 108 - Bonhams Asian & Chinese Art November 2018

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A THANGKA OF SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA Provenance usual in depictions in art, these are but a
Eastern Tibet, 17th/18th century The Oliver Robert Coales Collection, acquired few of the thirty-two major and eighty minor
Distemper on cloth; finely painted with by Mr. Coales when working and travelling marks of a Buddha as canonized in Tibetan
extensive use of gilt, the Historical Buddha in Eastern Tibet in 1916-17, and thence by Buddhism. Gold in colour, here literally
in Tibetan monastic attire, his right hand descent. rendered with lavish use of the pigment,
in Bhumisparsa mudra, the left holding an Buddha Shakyamuni sits on a flat disc of the
alms bowl, the elaborate, hexagonal throne A popular subject for thangkas, the Historical moon held within a lotus bloom, touching
decorated with ‘the Six Ornament’ design, Buddha Shakyamuni can be depicted alone, the ground in the gesture of calling the Earth
flanked by his two principle disciples, accompanied by his disciples and Arhats, like to witness, whilst holding an alms bowl
Shariputra and Maudgalyayana, with in the present lot, or within narrative settings containing a beautiful blossom in the other
Manjushri and a Mahasiddha at the top right - his life-story and twelve deeds, and the hand.
corner of the painting, Maitreya and Tara to stories from his preceding lives, the Jataka His throne is supported by a lotus rising from
the top left, a further small Buddha in the tales and Avedana stories. a muddy pond, illustrating the metaphor
teaching gesture before the altar table, the of the lotus symbolising the purity of the
figures finely captioned in gilt, the reverse Here, Shakyamuni is depicted accompanied Buddha.
also inscribed. by his two main students, two Bodhisattvas
84cm (33 in) x 56cm (22in) and two Arhats or Siddhas. His is a Buddha For a similar painting of Buddha Shakyamuni,
appearance, with curly blue-black hair piled dated 17th century, see Sotheby’s New York,
£3,000 - 5,000 in a tuft on the crown, a white dot, urna, The Richard & Magdalena Ernst Collection of
between his eyes, three lines under his
Himalayan Art, 22 March 2018, lot 969.
HK$31,000 - 51,000 neck, and red palms of hands and feet. As
CNY27,000 - 45,000
For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
106 | BONHAMS please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.