Ader
266
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Nine-deity Amitayus mandala, Tibet, Gelug tradition, 18th–19…
See original version (French)
266
-
Nine-deity Amitayus mandala, Tibet, Gelug tradition, 18th–19…
See original version (French)
Estimate €2,000 - €3,000
Voluntary lot
Description
Nine-deity Amitayus mandala, Tibet, Gelug tradition, 18th–19th century
Polychrome pigments on canvas, depicting the mandala of Amitayus, the Buddha of Infinite Life, arranged around a square celestial palace with four gates. In the centre, Amitayus is depicted seated in the vajraparyanka posture, with both hands joined in the meditation mudra and holding the vase containing the ambrosia of long life. He is surrounded by eight identical forms of Amitayus arranged in the eight directions, constituting the nine-deity mandala (tse pag me lha gu kyil khor). The palace is set within several concentric enclosures richly adorned with plant scrollwork, stylised clouds, vases, banners and polychrome architectural elements. In the upper register, the mandala is surmounted by Tsongkhapa, recognisable by his yellow pa??ita cap, flanked by two lamas also wearing yellow caps, most likely his two principal disciples, Gyaltsab Dharma Rinchen and Khedrub Geleg Pal Zangpo, indicating that the Amitayus cycle was adopted within the Gelug tradition. On either side are depicted tantric and protective deities, whilst the lower register brings together several deities from the pantheon of protection and long life, including a figure that can be identified as Green Tara. The composition thus combines the ancient scheme of the nine-deity Amitayus mandala with a peripheral programme characteristic of Tibetan paintings in the Gelug tradition. The architectural treatment, the palette of red, blue, green and yellow, and the plant scrollwork all bear witness to an aesthetic strongly influenced by Nepalese-Tibetan models. A comparison with several Amitayus mandalas preserved or documented by Himalayan Art Resources allows the composition to be linked to Tibetan models from the 16th–18th centuries, whilst suggesting that this particular work was produced later, probably in the 18th–19th centuries.
Dimensions of painting: 60.5 x 39 cm; overall dimensions: 124 x 64 cm
Signs of wear, scuffing, abrasions and loss of pigment, particularly visible in the peripheral areas; lifting and deterioration of the paint layer, tear. Mounted in a Plexiglas frame.
See original version (French)
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Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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