Page 228 - Bonhams London May 13th aqnd 14th 2019 Chinese Art

667 668

667 668
A THANGKA OF SATRIG ERSANG A THANGKA OF A SANGPO BUMTRI
Tibet, 19th century Tibet, 19th century
Distemper on cloth; holding twin lotus stems supporting a mirror and Distemper on cloth; holding a staff in the crook of his elbow, the Bon
a prayer wheel, the Bon deity flanked by attendants at either side and deity flanked by two standing attendants and surrounded by the two
surrounded by the two-hundred and fifty Enlightened Ones, verso hundred and fifty Enlightened Ones, the reverse inscribed. 85cm (33
inscribed in Tibetan. 85cm (33 1/2) x 67.5cm (26 1/2in) 1/2) x 67.5cm (26 1/2in)
£1,000 - 1,500 £1,000 - 1,500
HK$10,000 - 16,000 HK$10,000 - 16,000
CNY8,800 - 13,000 CNY8,800 - 13,000

Provenance: Ravi Kumar, Paris Provenance: Ravi Kumar, Paris
Fournier Collection, Paris, acquired from the above in the 1980’s Fournier Collection, Paris, acquired from the above in the 1980’s

Jeff Watt explains that Bon religion is regarded as the original ritual, Sangpo Bumtri is one of the Four Transcendent Lords, one of the
belief and faith system of Tibet and the Himalayan regions. Its main subjects in Bon religious art. Paintings of the Four Transcendent
founder is Tonpa Shenrab, whose followers believe to have lived Lords are indeed found in almost every Bon temple across Tibet and
between 8000 and 18,000 years ago. the Himalayas.

Included in the group of the Four Transcendent Lords and ranked The subject of the Four Transcendent Lords is found in the Ziji, the
first among them, Satrig Ersang is the principal female deity of the twelve volume, sixty-four chapter biography of Tonpa Shenrab, the
Bon religion; she is generally depicted as part of the group, therefore founder of the religion, where they are the principal deities in the
it is likely that the present lot would have been part of a larger set. In funeral ritual of Tonpa Shenrab. Typically, each deity is depicted
paintings she is generally depicted surrounded by the two hundred surrounded by two hundred and fifty ‘enlightened ones’, Sanggye,
and fifty enlightened ones (Sanggye), all female. Each of the Lords making a total of a thousand for the full set.
is accompanied by a similar group, making a total of one thousand
enlightened ones in the Bon religion.

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