Page 144 - Christie's Important Chinese Art Nov 3 2020 London

PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE ENGLISH COLLECTION SOLD BY ORDER OF THE EXECUTORS
121
A THANGKA DEPICTING HVASHENG
TIBET, 18TH-EARLY 19TH CENTURY
The painting depicts the portly patron Hvasheng, surrounded by playful children, seated in rajalilasana on
a brightly coloured cushion below a pine tree in a verdant garden with lotus blooms and a stream. In his
hands he holds a persimon fruit and a string of prayer beads, mala. He gazes upon a smaller representation
of himself in the lower register, receiving various offerings presented by devotees, many wearing fur-
trimmed hats. A poetic inscription in gold runs along the lower edge of the painting praising Hvasheng.
The thangka is mounted on brown, yellow and dark blue silk brocades, the latter brocade centred with a
kesi dragon panel.
The panel 25 3/8 in. x 16 5/8 in. (64.5 cm. x 42.1 cm.), brocade and kesi dragon panel mounts
£20,000-40,000 US$26,000-51,000
€22,000-44,000
PROVENANCE:
Private English Collection, predominantly assembled in the 1970s and 1980s.
Himalayan Art Resources, item no. 24642.
Hvashang was an eighth century Chinese Buddhist monk who, after teaching on a visit to the Tibetan
territory of Dunhuang, was invited by Tibetan King Trisong Detsen to represent the Northern Chinese
school of Zen Buddhism in a debate against an Indian adept representing the position of the gradual
aaproach to enlightenment. The latter school prevailed and Hvasheng's Chan philosophy of sudden
enlightenment was officialy denounced. In his typical presentation, the adept holds a persimon fruit -
an offering to the arhats he challened at the Lhasa Council. In Tibetan Buddhist art, he is commonly
depicted as an attendant to the sixteen arhats, and so it is possible that the present painting is from a
larget set depicting the sixteen arhats.
The inscription may be translated as: “Through unequalled virtuous actions in the world, all the highest
realised beings, having sounded aloud the seven harmonious tones are invoked to perform praise of
Hvasheng, pay homage to the divine emanation, surrounded by attendants./Through the cloud banks of
the inexhaustible sky-treasury, the siddhi of perfect offering and generosity, by the rain clouds of the four
attainments that burst forth, may the spiritual lives of sentient beings be great.”

英國私人珍藏, 由遺產執行人委託拍賣
西藏十八/十九世紀早期 和尚唐卡
來源:
英國私人珍藏,大多數於1970年代至1980年代購入

142 In addition to the hammer price, a Buyer’s Premium (plus VAT) is payable. Other taxes and/or an Artist Resale Royalty
fee are also payable if the lot has a tax or λ symbol. Check Section D of the Conditions of Sale at the back of this catalogue.