A RARE SILK THANGKA WITH NINE IMAGES OF TSONGKHAPA, TIBET, CIRCA 18TH CENTURY

拍品描述

A RARE SILK THANGKA WITH NINE IMAGES OF TSONGKHAPA, TIBET, CIRCA 18TH CENTURY Finely woven with nine images of Je Tsongkhapa, arranged in three registers of three and separated by broad yellow silk bands. Each shows the great Gelug teacher seated in vajraparyankasana upon a lotus throne, his hands raised before his chest in dharmachakramudra and grasping the stems of lotus blossoms rising to his shoulders, supporting his characteristic attributes, the flaming sword of wisdom and a manuscript. He is dressed in voluminous patchwork robes finely detailed with densely woven folds and geometric patterns and wears the distinctive pointed pandita hat. His serene face is framed by a pale-green halo within a broad radiating aureole. Each image is set beneath a draped canopy amid flowering plants and scrolling clouds, a variety of offerings before the lotus throne. Dimensions: Size 82 x 58 cm Je Tsongkhapa (1357-1419) was the founder of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism and one of the most influential teachers in the history of Tibetan Buddhism. He is immediately recognizable by his characteristic pointed pandita hat, the teaching gesture of his hands, and the lotus blossoms supporting the sword of wisdom and manuscript, attributes associated with Manjushri and emblematic of penetrating wisdom and Buddhist learning. The ninefold repetition of Tsongkhapa is particularly unusual. The multiplication of sacred images has a long tradition in Buddhist devotional art, where repeated representations could reinforce the religious efficacy of an image and serve as a means of accumulating merit. While serial images of Buddhas and other deities are well known, textiles devoted to repeated representations of Tsongkhapa appear considerably rarer. Here, the strict arrangement of nine very similar figures creates a striking rhythmic composition, while the remarkably intricate weaving allows even minute details of the robes, facial features, floral ornament, and sacred attributes to be clearly distinguished. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams New York, 19 March 2018, lot 3057 Price: Sold for USD 18,750 or approx. EUR 21,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing. Expert remark: Compare the similar composition with repeated Buddhas. Note the larger size (136.6 x 304.2 cm).

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