Page 178 - Important Chiense Ceramics and Works of Art, Christie's.pdf

2985
TWO RARE THANGKAS
DEPICTING THE LIFE OF
SHAKYAMUNI
QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY
One thangka depicts the birth of Siddartha,
with his mother Queen Maya in the centre,
grasping the branches of the sal tree with
one hand as Siddhartha emerges from her
side, Indra and Brahma standing to the
side, ready to catch him. The other thangka
depicts Buddha’s descent from Trayastimsa
(The Heaven of the Thirty-Three Gods),
descending a flight of stairs.
Each thangka, 26 in. x 17 ƒ in.
(66 cm. x 44.5 cm.), brocade and
embroidered mount (2)
HK$2,000,000-3,000,000
US$260,000-380,000
PROVENANCE
Sujata & Asoka Collection, Los Angeles
The Philosophical Research Society, Los
Angeles, gifted by the above in October
1983
These two thangkas belong to a set of
twelve. A similar set of thangkas is in
the collection of Musée Guimet in Paris
(unpublished). Another similar thangka
depicting the descending Shakyamuni
is in the Yonghe Palace, illustrated in
Palace of Harmony, Hong Kong, 1993,
p. 134 (fig. 1) .

fig. 1 Collection of the Yonghe Palace
எӬ 㫇ক༈⻦৅
176