Tibet, 19^th to early 20^th century. Distemper and gold on cloth. Well painted in bright polychrome pigments, the central register with a large medical tree with four main stalks representing the four roots of treatment (diet, behavior, medication, and external therapy), with the blue-skinned Bhaisajyaguru (Medicine Buddha) seated in dhyanasana on a lotus pillow surrounded by a double aureole and peony blossoms to the right of the tree.

Provenance: From an Austrian private collection.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, minimal fading, light soiling, some staining, and minor fraying to edges.

Dimensions: Size 70 x 88.9 cm

The upper register is painted with twelve figures, consisting of both monks and deities, each flanked by a bright nimbus and halo. The lower register contains three lines of medical text.

This painting depicts the methods of treatment used in the Tibetan system of medicine. The first stem stands for diet treatment, which has six branches. The first two branches with ten and four blue leaves, respectively, show the diet and the drink best suited to treat lung disorders. The third and fourth branches with seven and five yellow leaves, respectively, stand for the diet and drink suitable for mkhris-pa disorders and the fifth and sixth branches with six and three white leaves, respectively, stand for the diet and drink recommended for bad-kan disorders.

The second stem illustrates behavioral treatment. It has three branches with two leaves each representing the behaviors beneficial for the three humors.

The third stem depicts the different medications. It has a total of 15 branches and 50 leaves. The first six branches each bear three leaves. These refer to the tastes and medicinal qualities favorable for treating rlung, mkhris-pa and bad-kan disorders, which are shown as blue, yellow, and white leaves. The seventh to the twelfth branches bear a total of 23 leaves representing different medicinal preparations: broth and medicinal butter, decoctions and powders, pills and specific medicinal powders.

The fourth stem stands for external therapies, which are generally used as a last resort after all other treatments fail. It consists of three branches. The two blue leaves on the first branch portray the external therapy used to treat rlung disorders. The three yellow leaves on the second branch stand for external therapies used to fight mkhris-pa disorders and the two white leaves on the third branch signify external therapies used on bad-kan disorders.

Literature comparison:
Compare a related ‘Tree of Diagnosis’ thangka in the American Museum of Natural History, New York, included in the exhibition Body and Spirit: Tibetan Medical Paintings, 25 January-17 July 2011. Compare three further related thangkas in the Rubin Museum of Art, illustrated on Himalayan Art Resources, item nos. 1131-1133.