Page 110 - Bonhams Asian & Chinese Art November 2018

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A THANGKA OF TSONGKHAPA AND HIS LIFE SCENES The present lot sees the revered teacher depicted in his main form,
Eastern Tibet, 19th century the Pandita form, surrounded by significant scenes from his life story.
Distemper on cloth; in the clothes of a fully ordained lama and Interestingly, unlike many later thangkas, the present composition
wearing a yellow Pandita hat, with his hands held before his torso in does not seem to follow the standard set designed by Jamyang
the gesture of teaching, whilst clasping the stems of two oversized Shepa (1648-1721/22) in the eighteenth century, as illustrated
lotuses respectively supporting a book and a sword, Je Rinpoche by Jeff Watt. In Jamyang Shepa’s set, Tsongkhapa is depicted in
flanked by his two heart-sons, Gyaltsap Dharma Rinchen to the left the teaching gesture only in the central thangka of the set, where
and Kedrup Geleg Pal Zangpo to the right, all surmounted by lineage his throne is decorated with the Five Ornaments and there are no
figures, with a smaller Tsongkhapa in Pandita form, the background subsidiary figures surrounding the teacher. Moreover, in that set the
dotted with significant scenes from Je Rinpoche’s life, all finely Maitreya scene is in painting number 14. For an example of Jamyang
captioned in gilt. Shepa’s set see Himalayan Art Resources item no. item no. 79005.
60cm (23 5/8in) x 42cm (16 1/2in) Here instead the teacher is depicted in the gesture of teaching, whilst
surrounded by his students and other teachers; the composition
£600 - 1,000 includes the scene which narrates Tsongkhapa’s vision of the Thirty-
HK$6,100 - 10,000 five Confession Buddhas depicted in lot 280.
CNY5,400 - 9,000 This thangka comes with a paper note in Tibetan and English,
Provenance probably written by local monks for the benefit of Mr. Coales, with
The Oliver Robert Coales Collection, acquired by Mr. Coales when cartouches enclosing Tibetan writing identifying the iconography.
working and travelling in Eastern Tibet in 1916-17, and thence by (Illustrated online)
descent.

Lobzang Dragpa, Lama Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), is the founder of
the Gelug-pa school of Tibetan Buddhism and as such an important
figure in Tibetan art. Considered a manifestation of the Bodhisattva
Manjushri, the Gelug teacher has five forms in Tibetan art.

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